_Analysing Abono’s “Covenant of Service” Declaration Speech, Day 1_
Hon. Ahmed Babajide Olanrewaju (Abono) has pledged to revolutionize the economic landscape of Irepodun by establishing state-of-the-art Innovation Hubs.
Leveraging his background as an ICT Director and a recipient of over £1 million in international research grants, Olanrewaju intends to bridge the digital divide.
He confirmed this development during his official declaration speech while officially declaring to contest for the Irepodun LG Constituency at the Kwara State House of Assembly comes 2027 general election.
The “Covenant of Service” highlightening his visions for the Constituents and the constituency were broken to five (5) with Technology & Innovation topping the list which focuses on equipping Irepodun youth with high-demand digital skills such as AI, coding, and data analytics.
“We are no longer just competing with our neighbors; we are competing with the world,” Olanrewaju said during his declaration speech.
Traditionally, the brightest minds from Irepodun leave for Lagos or Abuja to find tech jobs. Abono’s vision suggests a shift where remote work infrastructure is the priority. By establishing high-speed internet hubs in ancestral homes like Arandun, Oro, Ajase-Ipo among others, Olanrewaju is proposing that a youth can live in Irepodun but work for a firm in London or Silicon Valley, bringing foreign currency directly into the local economy there by positioning the constituency as a hub for software outsourcing.
He acknowledged that as a Lawmaker, he wouldn’t rely on the state’s constituency allowance in achieving this but through his professional network, he’ll attract foreign direct investments and secure educational partnerships from international tech institutes to certify Irepodun Youth.
His plan aims to transform the constituency from a talent exporter to a self-sustaining tech ecosystem by working collaboratively with the state Govt aligning Irepodun with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s existing “Ilorin Innovation Hub” project.
By situating Irepodun as a “Satellite Tech Zone,” the constituency becomes the primary rural beneficiary of state-level digital policies, ensuring that tech development isn’t centralized only in the state capital.