An estate developer and Chairman of Jericho Mall, Ibadan, Dr. Makanjuola Ojewumi, has described Governor ‘Seyi Makinde as an intentional leader who is deliberately developing Oyo State.
Dr. Makanjuola, a Fellow of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), made this statement during an interview with The People’s Verdict.
According to him:
“He (Makinde) is a governor that has intentionally freed the process of getting things done and getting development to take place. So many estates have popped up within the city. He must be a governor that is positively looking at what can be done to raise the standards and the building setup in the city for him to have consistently done that over time.”
He acknowledged that while controversies exist—such as the Baywood GRA beside Agodi Gardens—Makinde’s developmental efforts remain professional and forward-looking.
“Some people felt why should a conservation area be approved as a GRA and all that. But the argument is neither here nor there. Let’s be candid, that area is prime; if it is not done today, it could be done another four, five years and it might not be done structured or organized. What I have seen there is an estate that is being professionally put together. There is a lot of land compacting; they have left a good part of the conservation area. So, it is a balance of flora and fauna with the built environment.”
Makanjuola emphasized the governor’s consistency and vision:
“It is showing a consistent pattern of someone who really wants Ibadan to grow into the city that is evolving right now — a nicely evolving city that shows a lot of development.”
On Makinde’s encouragement of estate development, he said:
“It is always a welcome thing for us to see a governor that is positively looking towards developing a city or town with approvals for various developments. It is impactful.”
He added that Nigeria’s housing gap makes such developments essential:
“Nigeria has a huge housing gap; the number of houses we have is not enough to house the populace. We have changing demographics… someone who was 20 a few years ago is now 26 or 28 and needs accommodation. The demographics keep changing. If the government is not conscious of it, they will just do nothing.”
He criticized outdated social housing models and praised Oyo State’s facilitative approach:
“It is old-fashioned for government to say they want to build houses for people. Government doesn’t have enough resources to do that. What the government should do is what Oyo State is doing — facilitate places where land is available and developers can come in with necessary capital and develop housing for the citizens and the city.”
On the necessity of new estates, he noted:
“To the degree that they increase the number of houses available, it is good and important. These days, the trend is gated developments where people have a sense of security and community. We don’t have enough yet — we can still have more.”
He also highlighted the link between estate development and economic growth:
“There is no way estate development can take place that it will not trickle into economic development. Every time you are building a house, you are engaging workmen. Some come from as far as Cotonou and Lagos to Ibadan. They earn and spend money within the city. Some people set up kiosks to serve the workers. The timber market at Bodija will know development is taking place when a lot of demand comes in for timber.”
On wealth and job creation, Makanjuola added:
“For the developer, wealth is being created. For the buyers of the properties too, wealth is being created. There’s a small GRA behind BCOS at Bashorun — the property prices there have virtually doubled. That’s wealth creation. But more importantly, jobs are created — not just during construction, but post-construction too. You won’t believe the number of people that work in an estate: stewards, helps, security men, etc. So many jobs are created post-construction.”
Watch the full video for more.
