2027: Alli Unveils ‘My Pact’, Sets ₦150bn Revenue Target, Pledges ₦10bn Youth Fund

By Victoria Isaac 

All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has placed local government autonomy, youth empowerment and revenue expansion at the centre of his 2027 governorship ambition, unveiling a policy blueprint that also promises to rank the state among Nigeria’s three leading economies.

Among the major commitments in the manifesto are a ₦10 billion youth fund, an annual internally generated revenue (IGR) target of ₦150 billion without imposing additional financial pressure on residents and businesses, and full financial and administrative autonomy for the state’s 33 local government councils from his first day in office, if elected.

Alli presented the manifesto, titled “My Pact”, on Tuesday in Ibadan before representatives of community development associations, professional bodies, artisans, traders, labour unions, political groups and other stakeholders.

The policy document is anchored on his Oyo AHEAD framework, which sets out his proposed priorities for governance across local government administration, infrastructure, healthcare, education, employment, agriculture, digital development and security.

Presenting his vision for the state, Alli argued that Oyo had the geographical spread, population and agricultural capacity to become a major economic force, particularly in food production and exports. He said his administration would pursue policies that would enable the state to supply food to other parts of the South-West while opening up international markets for its produce.

“Oyo State is the largest piece of land in southern Nigeria. We have 351 wards in 33 councils, and about eight million people. A state like ours should be feeding the South West and selling to the world,” he said.

On the state’s revenue outlook, the APC candidate proposed raising annual IGR to ₦150 billion, while insisting that the target would not be achieved by increasing the financial burden on traders, market women or business operators.

The scale of the proposed target is reflected in the state’s existing revenue performance. Figures attributed to the National Bureau of Statistics put Oyo’s IGR at ₦65.29 billion in 2024, while neighbouring Ogun State recorded ₦194.93 billion within the same period.

Beyond revenue generation, Alli said his ambition was to move Oyo into the league of Nigeria’s three leading state economies through a combination of infrastructure expansion, investment, agricultural development and improved public service delivery.

On road infrastructure, he promised to complete ongoing projects and expand access to rural communities through the construction of farm-to-market roads. According to him, the proposed road network would ease the movement of people and agricultural produce, while supporting economic activities across the state.

He also introduced a 20-year warranty proposal for new roads to be constructed under his administration, alongside plans to strengthen electricity supply. These include fully constituting the state electricity regulator and developing power generation capacity to provide dedicated electricity to industrial and agricultural corridors.

Addressing concerns over electricity infrastructure, Alli said faulty transformers would be subjected to regular audits and replacement.

“Faulty transformers will be audited and replaced every six months so that no street sits in darkness for a year,” he said.

His infrastructure agenda also includes restoring potable water supply to 100 communities and extending electricity to at least 100 rural communities that have never had access to it.

For public transportation, he pledged to expand the fleet of Pacesetter Transport Company and modernise the state-owned operator to improve its capacity to serve commuters.

The manifesto also outlines a housing programme targeting teachers, nurses, young couples and other working families. Alli said his proposed administration would partner with the Federal Government and private investors to develop affordable housing, while reducing the time and financial costs associated with obtaining building approvals.

He further promised to expand housing schemes for low- and middle-income earners, making access to decent accommodation a component of his proposed development agenda.

In healthcare, Alli identified gaps in hospital infrastructure and medical personnel as areas requiring attention. He promised to construct a general hospital in each of the six local government areas he said currently lacked one, while recruiting more doctors and other health professionals to address staffing shortages.

He disclosed that 10 hospitals currently had no medical doctor and pledged to fill vacancies across the health sector as they arise, including at primary healthcare centres.

His proposed healthcare interventions also include free health insurance coverage for infants, pregnant women and residents aged 70 and above. He set a target of expanding the state’s health insurance enrolment from approximately 271,000 people to 500,000 within his first two years in office.

For the education sector, the APC candidate promised to reduce classroom sizes to a maximum of 30 pupils, recruit additional teachers and provide more school infrastructure to improve the learning environment.

He also proposed establishing skills acquisition centres across the state’s zones and introducing an apprenticeship law to create structured pathways for vocational training and employment.

Youth empowerment and enterprise development featured prominently in the economic component of the manifesto. Alli promised to establish a ₦10 billion Oyo Youth Fund to support young people, alongside digital hubs across the state’s five geopolitical zones to expand access to digital opportunities.

He also proposed the establishment of industrial parks, the revival of the Oluyole Free Trade Zone and a guarantee fund designed to help small businesses access credit.

In agriculture, Alli pledged to revive farm settlements and provide insurance coverage for 10,000 farmers as part of efforts to strengthen agricultural production and protect farmers against risks. He also promised to establish an Oyo Export Council and a produce board to support farmers and improve access to markets for agricultural commodities.

On security, he said his administration would undertake a comprehensive overhaul of the state’s security architecture to strengthen the protection of lives and property.

He equally promised to ensure prompt payment of salaries and other entitlements to civil servants, while providing improved working tools and a better working environment to enhance productivity across the public service.

Local government autonomy, which has featured repeatedly in Alli’s campaign engagements, received renewed emphasis during the manifesto unveiling. He maintained that the 33 councils would enjoy full financial and administrative independence from the first day of his administration, if elected.

The commitment forms part of a broader governance proposal in “My Pact”, which seeks to extend his campaign promises beyond council administration to infrastructure, healthcare, education, agriculture, job creation, digital development and security across Oyo State.