Osun governor’s aide cites revenue growth, debt reduction, fiscal transparency, education reforms and social indicators in making the case for re-election.
Oriontimes Political Desk| August 9, 2026
Osogbo — A Senior Special Assistant to the Osun State Governor on Renewable Energy, Funmiso Babarinde, has highlighted a number of economic, fiscal, educational and governance indicators which, according to him, make a case for Governor Ademola Adeleke’s re-election.
Babarinde, while presenting the administration’s record, said the figures were drawn from publicly accessible data attributed to institutions including the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Debt Management Office (DMO), the World Bank and BudgIT.
However, Oriontimes notes that the figures and interpretations cited by the government official remain claims that should be assessed against the original datasets and reports of the respective institutions.
According to Babarinde, Osun State recorded a significant increase in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in 2024, rising from about N27.7 billion to N54.7 billion, representing a claimed 97.3 per cent growth.
He attributed the increase to tax harmonization, digitalisation and efforts to block revenue leakages, while maintaining that the government achieved the growth without increasing taxes.
On the state’s debt profile, Babarinde cited reports from the Debt Management Office, claiming that Osun reduced its debt by more than 45 per cent and ranked third among Nigeria’s 36 states in debt reduction.
He further argued that the state was among those that did not undertake new borrowing to finance its current projects.
Fiscal Transparency
Babarinde also pointed to Osun’s performance in BudgIT’s State Fiscal Transparency League, claiming that the state scored 100 per cent and emerged first in the third quarter of 2025.
He described the performance as the state’s strongest showing in more than a decade and linked it to what he described as improvements in fiscal transparency and accountability.
The government official also listed the payment of salary and pension arrears dating back to January 2016 among the administration’s achievements.
According to him, about N4.3 billion in gratuities had been paid to pensioners between December 2022 and the present period, while approximately 29,000 pensioners had been enrolled in the Osun Health Insurance Scheme.
Education and Infrastructure
On education, Babarinde claimed that Osun improved significantly in national examination rankings, moving from 33rd position in 2022 to seventh nationally.
He also cited the rehabilitation of 99 secondary schools and the revival of six technical colleges as part of the administration’s interventions in the education sector.
On infrastructure, he attributed to World Bank reports an estimated 40 to 45 per cent reduction in Osun’s infrastructure deficit since the commencement of the Adeleke administration.
If independently verified, such a reduction would represent a significant improvement in the state’s infrastructure position.
Digital Governance and Innovation
Babarinde further highlighted Osun’s domestication of the Nigeria Startup Act and the completion of Google mapping across the state.
He also pointed to the state’s electronic procurement portal, which he said had been cited by BudgIT as a model for transparency and good governance.
According to him, the administration’s digitalisation efforts have contributed to greater visibility and accountability in government processes.
Poverty and Social Indicators
The governor’s aide also cited NBS data which, according to him, placed Osun’s poverty rate at 8.52 per cent, describing it as the third-lowest among Nigerian states.
He further claimed that Osun compares favourably with other states on indicators including unemployment, life expectancy and mortality rates.
However, the interpretation of such indicators requires consideration of the relevant reporting periods, methodology and whether changes can be directly attributed to the state government.
A Record for Voters to Assess
The claims presented by Babarinde form part of the broader argument by supporters of Governor Adeleke that his administration deserves another term based on measurable economic, fiscal, educational and social indicators.
For voters, however, the figures provide only one part of the assessment. Other considerations, including the quality and distribution of projects, employment opportunities, public services, security, debt sustainability, transparency and the administration’s overall impact on residents, will also shape public judgement.
As Osun approaches the 2026 governorship election, competing political parties and candidates are expected to present their own records, figures and policy proposals.
0 Comments
Join the conversation!
Have insights, corrections, or questions about this news story? Drop your comment below. We value civil, fact-based discussion.