Abiodun Marks One Year in Office, Commissions Roads and School Projects in Oto-Awori
By Lagos Panorama
The Executive Chairman of Oto-Awori Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Hon. Kareem Azeez Abiodun, has marked his first year in office with the commissioning of major infrastructure projects and the unveiling of additional initiatives in education, healthcare, security and economic empowerment.
Speaking at the anniversary programme on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, Abiodun said his administration had focused on delivering people-oriented projects while strengthening social services and grassroots development.
Roads, Education and Infrastructure
Among the projects recorded within the year were the 80-metre Mosholashi-Baale Road with drainage in Shibiri, 362-metre Ese-Ofin Jetty and Road reconstruction, and 538-metre Jesuwame-Igbonla Road with drainage.
The council also graded Elesho Estate, Oke Agbo and Cele roads, rehabilitated part of Babalola Road and constructed the 456-metre Kareem Street in Shibiri with drainage.
Other infrastructure projects included a new 12-classroom block with offices, toilets and a store at Community Nursery and Primary School, Ilemba-Awori, renovation of Ajewanwa Primary School and the renovation and equipping of the Skill Acquisition and ICT Centre at Ijanikin.
Solar-powered streetlights were installed at several locations, while electricity infrastructure was extended from Ido-Oluwo Ile to Igbode, Idoye, Ojaje and Ikotun Ase.
The council also renovated the Adaloko Community Town Hall and constructed a palliative wooden bridge linking Ketu and Adaloko.
Ali-Balogun Commends Abiodun
Commissioning the newly constructed school buildings at Ilemba-Awori, the Lagos State Commissioner for Basic Education, Hon. Jamiu Ali-Balogun, commended Abiodun for his achievements within one year and urged him to sustain the pace of development.
Ali-Balogun said the investment would provide pupils with a more conducive learning environment and contribute to human capital development.
Empowerment, Education and Healthcare
The council said it provided ₦5 million in cooperative support for women, while 100 women received ₦250,000 each as business grants. Also, 100 widows and elderly residents received ₦50,000 each and food palliatives.
In education, 500 students received free JAMB forms, with cash awards for top performers, while free GCE forms and exercise books were also distributed.
The administration also supported a Spelling Bee Competition with ₦1 million for the winner and ₦500,000 for the runner-up, and introduced a One-Day Chairman and Vice Chairman programme for young people.
Healthcare interventions included free medical missions, ambulance maintenance and solar power at Ijanikin Primary Health Care Centre. Residents also benefited from free eye screening, treatment and recommended eyeglasses.
Environment, Security and Youth Development
The council evacuated refuse from several flashpoints and desilted drainages across 11 communities to reduce flooding risks.
Operational vehicles were presented to security agencies, while solar power was installed at the Ijanikin Police Station. The council also sustained joint patrols and stakeholder security meetings.
Youth programmes included sports competitions, boxing tournaments, ICT training, a Youth Advisory Council, a drug-abuse awareness campaign and support for a 120-hour hairdressing marathon for a Guinness World Record attempt.
Ojelabi Hails Abiodun, Calls for Support for Tinubu
The State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi, who commissioned Kareem Street, commended Abiodun for the level of development recorded within one year.
Ojelabi said he was not surprised by the achievements, attributing the increased capacity of local governments to execute projects partly to increased allocations following the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He said: “The local government chairmen now have enough resources to do a lot of developmental projects since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s removal of the fuel subsidy.”
The APC chairman urged Community Development Associations (CDAs) to protect and make good use of the infrastructure provided by the council.
He also called on residents to support and vote for the re-election of President Tinubu for a second term in the January 16, 2027 election, and to vote for APC candidates in the 2027 elections, saying continued support would enable them to enjoy what he described as the dividends of democracy.
Staff Development and Culture
The administration said council staff participated in training programmes in Singapore, Qatar and Abuja, while newly recruited and existing personnel received administrative and professional training.
The council also sponsored the 2025 Awori Day Cultural Festival and strengthened the capacity of the Legislative Arm through training, budget retreats and public hearings.
More Projects Commissioned
As part of the anniversary activities, Abiodun commissioned Kareem Street, Shibiri, and the new 12-classroom school building at Community Nursery and Primary School, Ilemba-Awori.
The council also presented grants to CDAs for grassroots projects, operational vehicles to security and community organisations, and empowerment items and grants to youths, women, artisans and vulnerable residents.
Abiodun thanked residents, staff, community leaders and other stakeholders for their support, pledging to build on the administration’s first-year interventions.
He summed up the administration’s approach with the words: “From roads to classrooms. From light to livelihood. From security to dignity. This is not just governance. This is service with sincerity.”
