Olowolafe Unveils Devt Blueprint for Ekiti

Dr. Tunji Olowolafe, founder of the Tunji Olowolafe Foundation and Chancellor of Ekiti State University (EKSU), unveiled a comprehensive development blueprint for Ekiti State at the Ekiti at 30 Future Summit. The new plan aims to shift the state's focus from being an educational hub to a skills-driven economy through technology, industrial production, and wealth creation.

Speaking at the Obafemi Awolowo Civic and Convention Centre in Ado-Ekiti, Olowolafe emphasized the importance of converting intellectual capital into measurable economic prosperity. He outlined three critical requirements: reliable power, practical vocational skills, and access to industrial supply chains and global markets. To achieve this, Olowolafe proposed a technical audit of Ekiti's 177 political wards to install renewable-energy microgrids, with solar microgrids of 300-500 kilowatts per ward.

He also called for a significant expansion of vocational and technical education, modernizing curricula and recruiting instructors from countries with strong technical education systems. Olowolafe encouraged major industries to participate in curriculum design, training, and recruitment from technical colleges. He highlighted Ekiti's existing strengths, including its education culture, tertiary institutions, and disciplined work ethic, while warning that rapid changes in technology could leave states behind if they fail to adapt.

The businessman and medical doctor also praised the state's development initiatives, such as the Ekiti Knowledge Zone and Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport, and challenged the state to move from producing raw commodities to value addition. For cocoa production, Olowolafe advocated for processing cocoa into chocolate and other finished products locally, rather than drying it in primitive conditions.

The Tunji Olowolafe Foundation pledged to install modern ICT centers in technical colleges, recruit international vocational training experts, and work with leading mining schools in Canada and South Africa to enhance EKSU's Department of Geology within five years.