Otunba Dr Taiwo Olubanwo Declares as Odogogo Launches Ultra-Modern Town Hall
Being the
CHIEF LAUNCHER’S SPEECH AT ODOGOGO DAY CELEBRATION & LAUNCHING OF THE ULTRA-MODERN TOWN HALL Saturday, 26th September 2026
Protocol
His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, CON; The Executive Chairman, Ijebu North East Local Government, Hon. Folusho Joseph Badejo; Our Royal Father of the Day, Oba Bamidele Otukoya, Oligun of Ilugun; Our Baale of Odogogo, High Chief Bolaji Ogunsanwo; Our traditional rulers, chiefs, community leaders, spiritual leaders, distinguished guests, fathers and mothers of the day; The Chairman of the Planning Committee, Chief Sunday Adelaja; Members of the Odogogo Development Council and Planning Committee; And, most importantly, the sons and daughters of Odogogo, both at home and in the diaspora.
Good afternoon, everyone.
It is a great honour to stand before you today. And let me say this from the beginning:
Today is not just about celebrating Odogogo. Today is about building Odogogo. Today is about a people coming together and saying:
“We believe in our community. We believe in our future. And we are ready to do something about it.”
That is why this occasion is so important.
We are here to celebrate our heritage, our people and our achievements.
But we are also here to launch something that will serve generations to come — our Ultra-Modern Town Hall.
And I believe this Town Hall is much more than a building.
It is a symbol. A symbol of unity. A symbol of progress.
And, most importantly, a symbol of what we can achieve when we work together.
Because every great community needs a place where its people can come together.
A place where we can sit down, talk, listen to one another, resolve issues, make decisions and plan for the future.
That is what this Town Hall represents. It represents our collective voice.
And I want to sincerely commend the Odogogo Development Council, the Planning Committee and everyone who has contributed to bringing this project to this stage.
You have shown that community development is not only the responsibility of government.
It is everybody’s responsibility.
I also want to acknowledge our dear Governor, His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun, CON, for his administration’s commitment to infrastructure and development across Ogun State.
When government provides the right environment and communities take responsibility for their own development, everybody benefits.
That is how we build a stronger Ogun State.
That is how we build a stronger Nigeria.
Ladies and gentlemen,
There is something else I want us to remember today. Success comes with responsibility.
Many of us have left home. We travelled. We went to school. We built careers. We started businesses.
Some of us have become successful in our different fields. But wherever life takes us, we must never forget where we came from.
Because our success should not end with us. Our success should also benefit our people.
And giving back does not necessarily mean that everyone must give the same amount of money.
Some can give money. Some can provide materials. Some can offer professional services. Some can provide ideas. Some can use their connections. Some can give their time. And some can simply encourage others to participate. Everybody has something to contribute.
What matters is that we contribute.
And as we contribute, let us also remember the importance of transparency, accountability and excellence.
If we are building for our children and grandchildren, then we must build properly.
We must build with integrity. We must build something we will all be proud of many years from now.
My dear people of Odogogo, the Town Hall is only the beginning.
Let us not stop here. Let us begin to think about what comes next.
How do we improve education in our community? How do we support healthcare? How do we empower our young people? How do we create opportunities in agriculture, technology and enterprise? How do we make our community safer?
How do we encourage our sons and daughters who are doing well outside Odogogo to come home and invest?
These are the conversations we must begin to have.
And to our young people, I want to say something very important. Please, do not be afraid to dream.
Learn. Build yourself. Use technology. Acquire skills. Create businesses. Become professionals.
Go as far as you can go. But as you succeed, remember home. Come back with your knowledge. Come back with your experience. Come back with your ideas. Come back with your resources.
Because, ultimately, one of the greatest measures of success is not just what we achieve for ourselves, but what opportunities we create for others.
Distinguished guests,
Today, I do not want to stand before you and simply ask other people to give. I believe leadership means leading by example.
So, on behalf of myself, Otunba (Dr.) Taiwo O. Olubanwo, and my wife, Yeye (Dr.) Oluwakemi Olubanwo, and indeed our family from Ipari-Oke Town, I am pleased to make a personal pledge of: ₦1,000,000.00 ( One Million Naira ) towards this important project.
It is our own contribution.
And I want to make it clear: This is not the end. It is a beginning. It is our way of saying: “We believe in this project.”
“We believe in Odogogo.” “And we believe that when we all do our part, something great can happen.”
I therefore encourage everyone here today, individuals, families, sons and daughters of Odogogo, friends of the community and well-wishers, to support this project in whatever way you can.
Let us give. Let us participate. Let us encourage one another. And let us leave something behind that our children will look at tomorrow and say: “Our parents built this for us.”
That, for me, is the real meaning of today.
Not just the celebration. Not just the speeches. Not just the ceremony. But the legacy.
So, as we celebrate Odogogo today, let us also make a commitment to its tomorrow.
Let us believe in our people. Let us build together. And let us become the community we want to see.
If we believe, we can build. If we build, we can become. So I leave you with three simple words:
BELIEVE. BUILD. BECOME.
Let us believe in Odogogo.
Let us build Odogogo.
And let us become the community we know Odogogo can be.
And let me end with this:
We will not wait for somebody else to build our future.
We will build it ourselves.
May God bless Odogogo.
May God bless Ijebu North East Local Government.
May God bless Ogun State.
And may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Thank you very much.
God bless you all.
