By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, has urged South-West Governors to strengthen regional integration through joint planning, infrastructure development and economic cooperation, saying the region can achieve greater development without constitutional amendments.
Hamzat made the call on Friday, 28 August, 2026 at the centenary lecture held in honour of Afenifere leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, where South-West leaders and stakeholders discussed Yoruba unity and regional development.
He said the six states could pursue common development projects, including an integrated rail network linking Lagos with Ekiti, to improve movement and create economic opportunities across the region.
“I’m going to talk to you about how we can come together as Yoruba people to develop together. So that we build rail from Lagos to Ekiti,” Hamzat said.
He explained that improved connectivity would allow people to live and work across state boundaries, citing the possibility of a Lagos resident owning a farm in Ekiti while commuting between both states.
Hamzat stressed, however, that regional projects must be supported by coordinated planning and budgeting.
“But you cannot plan development without budget. Therefore, any committee of commissioners for budget and planning in the Southwest, they must help us to plan these things,” he said.
The Deputy Governor also identified the South West Development Commission and the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) as existing institutions that could be deployed to advance regional cooperation.
“Fortunately, our president has done well. We have the South West Development Commission, we have DAWN. DAWN is doing extremely well,” he said.
On agriculture, Hamzat said the states should leverage their different economic strengths by linking production areas with Lagos’ processing capacity.
He noted that Lagos lacked sufficient agricultural land to produce all the rice it required but had a major rice-processing facility, while Ekiti, Ogun and Ondo had the land to produce the crop.
“Lagos cannot produce enough rice, for example, that we need. But we have the largest rice mill in the country. So Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo can supply the rice because the land is there,” he said.
Hamzat urged the South-West governors to further integrate DAWN into their development programmes, saying the organisation could assist with regional planning and implementation.
“We just need to make sure that we incorporate them more into the delivery of governors in Southwest,” he said.
He maintained that practical cooperation among the states did not require a constitutional amendment, arguing that governors and their officials could establish mechanisms for linking the region under the existing constitutional framework.
“That one doesn’t require any constitution. It’s just governors and their team sitting together with DAWN to say, how do we link Southwest together?” he said.
Hamzat said the goal should be to create a system that allows residents to conduct legitimate economic activities across the region without unnecessary administrative barriers.
He added that deeper integration would help realise the development aspirations of past South-West leaders and strengthen the region’s position nationally and internationally.
“I think that’s the only way we can achieve the aims of our grandfathers, our fathers, what they planned. Because I don’t have any fear if we do that, we will project Southwest higher,” he said.
Recalling the region’s history of innovation, Hamzat noted that the South-West had previously pioneered major developments, citing its early television broadcasting achievement.
“After all, they’ve done it before. Southwest had television before Belgium,” he said.
The centenary lecture provided a platform for South-West leaders and stakeholders to reflect on Fasoranti’s legacy and discuss practical measures for strengthening regional unity, economic integration and development.
Source: Punch
