Ibadan monarch urges Tinubu to prioritise food security, healthcare, insecurity

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rasheed Ladoja, has urged President Bola Tinubu to intensify efforts in addressing food security, healthcare and insecurity, describing insecurity as Nigeria’s most pressing challenge.

The monarch gave the advice on Friday after a courtesy visit to the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he said farmers across the country were increasingly afraid to access their farmlands due to rising insecurity.

“We expect the government to work more on food and health. We should have standard hospitals where we can treat our people. But the major problem we really have now is insecurity,” Ladoja told journalists.

He warned that insecurity had begun to spread to southern parts of the country, disrupting farming and economic activities, but expressed optimism that the situation could be overcome.

“I don’t think it is insurmountable. By and large, we believe that the President is tackling it correctly now,” he said.

Ladoja explained that the visit was mainly to thank President Tinubu for attending his coronation in September, noting that his presence in Abuja for the Daily Trust Dialogue provided the opportunity to pay the visit.

“I have been trying to come since September 26 to thank him for finding the time to attend my coronation,” he said.

The former Oyo State governor expressed confidence in President Tinubu’s leadership capacity, saying his experience as Lagos State governor had shaped his approach to governance.

“If you know where he’s coming from, you know that he knows what he’s doing. He was able to guide Lagos from where it was to where he left it,” Ladoja said, while noting that Nigeria posed more complex challenges than a single state.

He also observed that states now had more financial resources than during his time as governor, allowing them to meet obligations more effectively, and expressed optimism that ongoing economic reforms would yield positive outcomes.

“By and large, the economy has to be fixed, and it is being fixed. We hope that by the time he is leaving office in 2031, Nigeria will be in a position that all of us will be proud of,” he added.