₦airaland Forum

Olurondo:
Only a fool will praise a filthy politician like Gbenga Daniel.Gbenga Daniel stole and embezzled Ogun State money so much and left so many abandoned projects.Ibikunle Amosun who was the next governor was not any better.Dapo Abiodun is the governor trying to fix the mess left by Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun.

Please can you mention 5 mess Gbenga Daniel and Amosun created that Dapo Abiodun is trying to fix or has fixed.

Ogun at 50 looking so shotty and terrible with a slum capital called Abeokuta

LabStores:
Sorry to say, but the truth is often bitter...

Ogun State ought to be far better than it is, considering its immense wealth and the presence of numerous companies and industries in the state. A lot of people that can't find spaces in Lagos settle for it.
In terms of development, Unfortunately, the reality tells a different story. It remains deeply underdeveloped, burdened by consistently ineffective governance. The road infrastructure is among the worst in the country-arguably the worst.

Were it not for its proximity to Lagos State and Ibadan, Ogun would likely be in an even more dire state- possibly worse than Kogi, Niger, Benue etc.

All their sons have all gone to Lagos to be claiming Omo Eko leaving their state to be this terrible

Ibikunle Amosun perform far better than Daniel.

Daniel waste 8years as governor. It's saddening cos he is an APC member now, Nairaland is posting BS

LabStores:
Sorry to say, but the truth is often bitter...

Ogun State ought to be far better than it is, considering its immense wealth and the presence of numerous companies and industries in the state. A lot of people that can't find spaces in Lagos settle for it.
In terms of development, Unfortunately, the reality tells a different story. It remains deeply underdeveloped, burdened by consistently ineffective governance. The road infrastructure is among the worst in the country-arguably the worst.

Were it not for its proximity to Lagos State and Ibadan, Ogun would likely be in an even more dire state- possibly worse than Kogi, Niger, Benue etc.

If Oyo has the opportunity it has by being next to Lagos it will make better use of it
It seems Ogun state is cursed and they have produced Two past heads of state and two past vice

Don't you have shame ...a state of over 50yrs is still growing

adamkkk:
Ogun is still growing and far ahead of many states

And he totally forgot the roads when building the gateway to the industry

Amount is the WORST!
Governor of Abeokuta with 1 overhead bridge + uncompleted model scheme in every local government outside Abeokuta for a whole 8 good years in power.

Talk about Cluelessness, the state really suffered in the man's hands, except those in Abeokuta.

Eraddray:
And he totally forgot the roads when building the gateway to the industry

Google is your friend. Gbenga Daniel constructed 500km length of roads as a Governor, the highest in the country, followed by Yar'adua of blessed memory who constructed 380km +.

Every town, local government, ward got roads. Not Amosun and his Chinese partners that didn't lift a finger outside Abeokuta.

oyeb15:
Ibikunle Amosun perform far better than Daniel.

Daniel waste 8years as governor. It's saddening cos he is an APC member now, Nairaland is posting BS

Eh!
Amount was the worst.
The only evidence people outside Abeokuta had that there was a Governor in Amosun's regime was 1 flyover bridge + 1 uncompleted school. Nothing at all.

In Daniel's regime, tertiary institutions, stadia, roads, hospital upgrade,buses for tertiary institutions, employment, markets, Free trade zones went round.

The only reason anyone can dream of comparing Amosun to Daniel is- if the person lived in Abeokuta. Even in Abeokuta, The Government is operating in Daniel built Secretariat, The road into Abeokuta was dualised by Daniel, The CBD- Oke ilewo- Dualised by Daniel, Most structured Housing estate- built by Daniel, Tallest Office complex built by Daniel.

Even in Abeokuta, Daniel can match Amosun, outside Abeokuta, Amosun is not rated at all.

Olurondo:
Only a fool will praise a filthy politician like Gbenga Daniel.Gbenga Daniel stole and embezzled Ogun State money so much and left so many abandoned projects.Ibikunle Amosun who was the next governor was not any better.Dapo Abiodun is the governor trying to fix the mess left by Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun.

What are you saying sir?
Forget Politics. Daniel was tried to Supreme Court level by OBJ and Kashamu who had threatened to jail him but found nothing! Nothing!

Daniel is a model in the history of Nigerian Politics. He is a Professional in politics. A rated- top 10 wealthiest Nigerian businessman before venture into politics which made him much poorer. For Context- Dangote and IBB were the financiers of PDP, Daniel was the backbone of AD.

Talking about resourcefulness-
He would bid and construct Sagamu - Abeokuta express for a third of Julius Berger submitted quote for same road. He would use the laterite scraped from the road to construct Brick estate for displaced communities, he would get Ogun state welders to manufacture all street light poles, he would use Ogun state owned civil engineers to build Secretariat (guess how much N800m), stadia (guess how much- 1 Billion, same year Abuja stadium was built for N23B). Daniel's commissioners complained 3 of them shared the same room whenever they travelled, when I know Governors that had 10 extra rooms for protocol anytime they travelled.

The man proudly said I ran the state better than my company.

You see the Cargo airport (now taken up by Dapo), Olokola Deep seaport (one Dangote just applied for), the Refinery (the one Dangote started and relocated to Lagos after Amosun sacked him)- All of these were visions of Gbenga Daniel and if not for Amosun Bad belle, Ogun State would have dwarfed Lagos fiscally speaking.

Daniel was a Maverick, extremely resourceful and if anything at all, he was poorer, far poorer for venturing into politics.

Gbenga Daniel was useless, this write up is shameless.

Amosun was better but in truth, Ogun State has underachieved and done so badly. The proximity to Lagos state remains largely untapped.

The proposed state changes giving Ìjẹ̀bú their own state and lumping outer parts of Lagos mainland with Ogun state should happen sooner rather than later.

And how many of the road are still in use..or how long did it take before the road wash off

Aprocco:
Google is your friend. Gbenga Daniel constructed 500km length of roads as a Governor, the highest in the country, followed by Yar'adua of blessed memory who constructed 380km +.

Every town, local government, ward got roads. Not Amosun and his Chinese partners that didn't lift a finger outside Abeokuta.

Eraddray:
And how many of the road are still in use..or how long did it take before the road wash off

The last interland roads. in any Ogun state community were built by Osoba and Daniel. Amosun and Dapo are CCEC/ Craneburg patrons that only build the entrance of Abeokuta or major towns.

The Secretariat Ogun Civil service works from was built by Daniel, Abeokuta CBD- oke Ilewo road built by Daniel, Biggest Housing Estate- Built by Daniel. Ogun Power plant built by Daniel, all or most markets built/ rebuilt by Daniel, all general hospitals were last rebuilt by Daniel.

He conceptualised Sagamu Industrial layout + 4 Free trade Zones. Sagamu Industrial layout went on to become Nigeria's Biggest. In the words of the Chairman of Nestlé who was first to establish a factory there- " Daniel blackmailed me by my indigeship to set up a factory there" One of the other Free Trade Zones was the one that housed Dangote refinery Amosun sacked.

Ogun before Daniel was plainly a civil service state and it was clear in his well published manifesto- Awaking the sleeping giant. He set out to Industrialised the state.

Daniel except all you followed was political magazines is a top 3.politician to ever administer Nigeria. That's including Chief Awolowo & Tinubu. If there wasn't Ebga/ Ijebu bad belle rivalry, Ogun would have dwarfed Lagos fiscally revenue with Daniel's Deep Sea Port, Cargo Airport city, Refinery and Free Trade Zones.

He pioneered a shift from frugal Osoba Administration who Obasanjo commended as the only Governor who had no request from the Federal. Daniel came in with all the insatiable hunger for development

Having read what people have said about ogun state, it is a clear fact that, most people here knows nothing about the state because many only read about it online and not by physically present. And for the person that said amosun built just one flyover in abeokuta F.Y.I, Amosun but about 7 flyover bridges in abeokuta alone not to now talk of the pedestrian bridges at different areas and other area like like ijebu ode, sagamu, ota, mowe, ibafo, ilaro and several other were not left out each city got at 2 flyovers from amosun. Please, try and do your findings before coming online to make unsubstantiated claims.

[quote author=best.ofnolly.wood post=138333515]Ogun At 50: How Gbenga Daniel Built The Gateway To Nigeria's Industrial Future by bestofnollywood: 11:41pm On Feb 01
Fifty years is a lifetime in political memory, yet some legacies refuse to fade into the comfortable blur of history. As Ogun State prepares to mark her golden jubilee in February 2026, the occasion demands more than ceremonial celebration, it calls for an honest reckoning with the forces and figures that have shaped the state's trajectory. Without mincing words, few administrations have left footprints as indelible as that of Otunba Gbenga Daniel in Ogun State.

Between 2003 and 2011, Daniel didn't just govern; he rewired the state's DNA, transforming Ogun from a sleeping giant in Lagos' shadow into Nigeria's undisputed industrial powerhouse. He built roads where others commissioned studies. He delivered power while others delivered excuses. He constructed an economy while others merely presided over budgets. The Daniel years were not an administration, they were a revolution executed in concrete, steel, and unwavering political will. This is the story of how one governor weaponized infrastructure to reshape a state's destiny.

The story of modern Ogun State is, in many respects, the story of infrastructure deliberately weaponized for economic transformation. While other states grappled with conceptual frameworks and feasibility studies, Daniel's government was pouring concrete, laying asphalt, and erecting transmission towers. The philosophy was refreshingly pragmatic: build the infrastructure, and the development will come. And come it did.

Consider the audacity of the direct labour model, a governance innovation that would become Daniel's signature achievement. Through agencies like OGROMA and OGSEP, the Ogun State Road Maintenance Agency and Ogun State Electricity Project Agency respectively, the administration bypassed the traditional contractor-dominated system that had become synonymous with inflated costs and abandoned projects. The results were nothing short of revolutionary. Over 700 roads were either constructed or rehabilitated across all 20 local government areas, with cost savings reaching an astonishing 70 percent compared to conventional private contracting arrangements. Projects that would typically drag on for half a decade were completed within one to two years.

The mathematics of this approach deserve closer examination. When you save 70 percent on infrastructure costs while simultaneously creating thousands of jobs for local engineers, technicians, and laborers, you are not simply building roads. You are building capacity, confidence, and a template for sustainable development. OGROMA became living proof that Nigerian civil servants, when properly motivated and equipped, could execute major projects with efficiency that rivaled, and often surpassed, their private sector counterparts. The Sagamu-Siun-Kobape-Abeokuta Road, the Ilaro-Idogo Road, the Ota-Itele-Ayobo Road—these were not just transportation arteries. They were statements of intent, declarations that Ogun State was open for business and ready for the future.

But Daniel understood something fundamental that eluded many of his contemporaries: roads alone do not industrialize a state. You need power. Lots of it. And so, while Nigeria's national grid stuttered and faltered, Ogun State embarked on an ambitious electrification program that would provide 92 relief substations, distribute 402 transformers to communities, and execute 38 rural electrification projects. Street lighting was installed on 60 major roads, transforming not just the physical landscape but the psychology of possibility. When industries scout for locations, reliable power sits at the top of their checklist. Daniel knew this, and he delivered.

The infrastructure investments were never ends in themselves but means to a larger ambition: positioning Ogun State as Nigeria's premier industrial destination. The strategy was executed with surgical precision. The Flowergate Industrial Estate at Sagamu Interchange would eventually house over 200 industries. The Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone at Igbesa attracted nearly 200 companies, becoming a magnet for Chinese and international investment. The Olokola Free Trade Zone promised a deep seaport that would rival the congestion-choked Apapa. The Kajola Transportation Free Trade Zone at Ifo was conceived as a rail and logistics hub. The Gateway Agro-Cargo Airport at Ilishan was designed to position Ogun at the center of Nigeria's agricultural export revolution.

What made these industrial projects succeed where others had faltered elsewhere? The answer lies in the ecosystem Daniel had methodically constructed. Investors were offered tax incentives and rebates, but more importantly, they were offered something rare in Nigeria: reliability. Reliable power through OGSEP's interventions. Reliable roads through OGROMA's network. Reliable water supply through the revival and upgrade of six major water schemes including Abeokuta, Yemoji in Ijebu Ode, and Sagamu waterworks. And perhaps most critically, a reliable pipeline of skilled workers trained through institutions like the Gateway Industrial and Petro-Gas Institute.

The strategic geography helped, certainly. Ogun's proximity to Lagos, with its ports and massive consumer market, was always an advantage. But geography alone never created an industrial powerhouse. Dozens of states border economically vibrant neighbors without attracting a fraction of the investment Ogun State secured during the Daniel administration. What converted geographical advantage into economic reality was deliberate policy execution married to visionary infrastructure planning.

There is an instructive lesson in the water supply initiative. Access to potable water is such a basic governmental obligation that its mention barely registers in discussions of transformative leadership. Yet the Daniel administration's systematic revival of defunct water schemes across the state, from Ifo-Akinside to Ijebu-Igbo to Ogere, represented the kind of unglamorous but essential work that separates serious governance from political theater. Industries need water. Communities need water. Daniel provided it, not through fanfare but through methodical rehabilitation of existing infrastructure.

The legacy of those eight years extends beyond the physical structures that still dot the landscape. The direct labour model proved that local capacity, when properly harnessed, could deliver results that exceeded expectations. Money that would have enriched distant contractors instead circulated within the Ogun economy, as salaries and profits were reinvested locally. Engineers and technicians gained invaluable experience that would serve them throughout their careers. The dependency on foreign contractors that had become an article of faith in Nigerian development discourse was challenged and disproven.

As Ogun State approaches its 50th anniversary, the industrial parks, free trade zones, and infrastructure networks established during the Daniel administration remain foundational to the state's identity as Nigeria's industrial gateway. The blueprint he created—infrastructure first, industrialization second, human capital development throughout—offers a masterclass in strategic governance that resonates beyond partisan consideration.

In the final analysis, Otunba Gbenga Daniel's tenure represented a particular philosophy of state building: that government's primary obligation is to create the conditions for prosperity, not merely to redistribute resources. By choosing to invest in roads, power, water, and industrial infrastructure, his administration made a bet on Ogun's future that has paid dividends for over a decade. The transformation was not accidental, nor was it inevitable. It was the result of vision, executed with precision, and sustained by an unwavering commitment to building an economy rather than merely presiding over one.

The roads remain. The industries still hum with activity. The lights still shine. And the question for current and future administrations is not whether the Daniel blueprint was successful, but whether they possess the political will and technical competence to build upon it.
Source:

https://applesbite.com/ogun-at-50-how-gbenga-daniel-built-the-gateway-to-nigerias-industrial-future/[/quote]Bump.

The new Gateway International Cargo Airport is located at Iperu-Remo NOT Ilisan as incorrectly stated in the article.


First Commercial Flight Takes Off At Gateway Airport Airport In Iperu, Ogun State

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBCGy6X5-60
TVC News Nigeria • October 8 2025

LabStores:
Sorry to say, but the truth is often bitter...

Ogun State ought to be far better than it is, considering its immense wealth and the presence of numerous companies and industries in the state. A lot of people that can't find spaces in Lagos settle for it.
In terms of development, Unfortunately, the reality tells a different story. It remains deeply underdeveloped, burdened by consistently ineffective governance. The road infrastructure is among the worst in the country-arguably the worst.

Were it not for its proximity to Lagos State and Ibadan, Ogun would likely be in an even more dire state- possibly worse than Kogi, Niger, Benue etc.

Kogi should undisputably receive that award for the most useless state in Nigeria follow by Ogun

ambale:
Kogi should undisputably receive that award for the most useless state in Nigeria follow by Ogun

Ògún State Politicians are the most useless, without raising a finger, they are already sitting on a fortune due to their proximity to Lagos state.

They don't even need to even think at all, they just need to follow the policies Lagos state is doing in bordering LG's to make regular money.

Clearly the most useless politicians by far.

aswani:
Ògún State Politicians are the most useless, without raising a finger, they are already sitting on a fortune due to their proximity to Lagos state.

They don't even need to even think at all, they just need to follow the policies Lagos state is doing in bordering LG's to make regular money.

Clearly the most useless politicians by far.

I said kogi because of its peculiarity to the North and South

If there was no kogi, Ogun will undisputably receive the award of the most useless state in Nigeria