ICDA Board of Trustees Adopts Key Resolutions to Strengthen Ijesaland Development Framework

The Board of Trustees of the Ijesa Community Development Assembly (ICDA) has adopted far-reaching resolutions aimed at strengthening grassroots development, transparency, and economic empowerment across Ijesaland.

The resolutions were reached at the Board of Trustees meeting held on Thursday, 8 January 2026, under the chairmanship of the Asiwaju of Ijesaland, Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi. Other trustees in attendance included Chief Akin Akinola, Her Excellency Erelu Olusola Agbeja-Obada, Sir Supo Shadiya, Ajirowa Alhaji Lateef Bakare, Sir Dr. Ademola Aladekomo, and Prince (Rev.) Lowo Adebiyi, who served as Board Secretary.

According to a communiqué issued after the meeting, the Board resolved that the ICDA Management Team should organise Community Needs Identification and Assessment training for all Ijesaland Development Fund (IDF) ward executives across the six local government areas in Ijesaland. The training is expected to take place within the first quarter of 2026, ahead of the utilisation of IDF funds by the 64 wards.

The Board also directed the Management Team to work closely with the partnering bank and website developer to ensure the speedy completion of the IDF website and payment portal. This includes the integration of past payments and addressing backend security concerns to guarantee transparency and data protection.

In another major resolution, the Board approved discussions with the bank on the automation of a three percent deduction from local government IDF accounts to fund ICDA operations and monitoring. The Board outlined a transparent sharing formula, allocating one percent for ICDA operations, staff salaries, monitoring and evaluation, and annual auditing; one percent for ICDA-IDF councils at the local government level; and the final one percent to be shared equally among wards within each local government for community needs assessment, logistics, and monitoring activities.

The trustees further resolved to intensify advocacy efforts to expand the contributors’ base of the IDF. Members of the Board were encouraged to leverage their individual networks to attract more contributors, with advocacy efforts to be reviewed and assessed at every quarterly Board meeting.

To strengthen institutional capacity, the Board approved the renting of an ICDA secretariat office and the recruitment of one Project Manager and three Operations Officers under a new independent IDF management structure. Each Operations Officer will oversee two local government IDFs, a move the Board said would enhance efficiency, accountability, and long-term sustainability.

In a bid to boost commerce and economic empowerment, the Board approved the establishment of the Ijesaland Cooperative Society (ICS). The cooperative is expected to provide revolving loans to vocational and trade groups across the 64 wards in Ijesaland. The Board also resolved that ICDA should engage the Osun State Ministry of Cooperatives and Empowerment and the state government to facilitate the release of counterpart funding. It disclosed that ICDA has committed ₦68 million, while His Imperial Majesty, the Owa Obokun Adimula and Paramount Ruler of Ijesaland, Owa Sir Dr. Clement Adesuyi Haastrup, Ajimoko III, has pledged ₦32 million, bringing the total initial fund to ₦100 million, subject to the release of the state’s matching grant.

The Board further resolved that ICDA should consolidate ongoing programmes, including partnerships with the Leventis Foundation on agricultural training, RLG ICT training for youths, and the health insurance scheme for the elderly. In addition, wards were advised to prioritise education, health, youth empowerment, and socioeconomic infrastructure projects in the utilisation of their leftover funds.

Trustees were also urged to review the IDF implementation manual and submit feedback to the ICDA Chairman or through appropriate platforms.

As part of efforts to deepen stakeholder engagement, the Board approved the organisation of a maiden online Ijesa Stakeholders’ Meeting scheduled for Thursday, 29 January 2026, at 4pm. The meeting will present ICDA’s ward-based, participatory, and inclusive development roadmap, with emphasis on the Ijesa Development Fund strategy.

The Board announced that its next meeting will be held physically on Friday, 27 March 2026, at the Ilesa residence of the ICDA Chairman.

The resolutions were jointly signed by Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi, Chairman of ICDA, and Prince (Rev.) Lowo Adebiyi, Secretary of the Board of Trustees, and dated 12 January 2026.

Read Full Text of the Communique below:

RESOLUTIONS OF THE ICDA BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING HELD ON THURSDAY 8TH JANUARY, 2026

ATTENDANCE

1. Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi - ICDA Trustee/Chairman*

2. Chief Akin Akinola- ICDA Trustee*

3. Her Excellency Erelu Olusola Agbeja-Obada- ICDA Trustee*

4. Sir Supo Shadiya- ICDA Trustee*

5. Ajirowa Alh. Lateef Bakare- ICDA Trustee*

6. Sir Dr. Admola Aladekomo- ICDA Trustee*

7. Prince (Rev.) Lowo Adebiyi- ICDA Trustee/Board Secretary

RESOLUTIONS MADE BY THE ICDA BOARD OF TRUSTEES AT THE MEETING:

1. The ICDA Board of Trustees resolved that the ICDA Management Team should conduct Community Needs Identification and Assessment  Training for all IDF Ward Executives in each of the six local governments within the first quarter of 2026 ahead of the beginning of utilisation of the IDF Funds by the 64 Wards in Ijesaland.

2. The ICDA Board of Trustees resolved that the ICDA Management Team should work with the Bank and Website Developer to ensure the IDF website and payment portal is speedily completed without further delay, including integration of past payments, and address security concerns regarding backend access.

3. The ICDA Board of Trustees resolved that the ICDA Management Team should discuss with the bank the possibility of automating the 3% deduction from local government IDF accounts for ICDA operations and monitoring, and implement a transparent process. Of the three percent (3%) of the amount deducted from each IDF/ LGA after making deductions for bank charges and taxes, 1% shall be used for the ICDA Operations, Staff Salaries, Monitoring & Evaluation in the 6 IDF-LGAs, Annual Auditing of the 6 IDF-LGAs Accounts; the second 1% is for the Council of ICDA-IDF in the respective LGA for Operations, Monitoring & Evaluation Activities of the Wards in the LGA; and the last and third 1% shall be set aside for the Wards in the LGA. For instance, in Oriade LGA that has 12 Wards, the 1% shall be divided into 12 units and respectively shared equally amongst the 12 Wards to carry out Community Needs Identification and Assessment, logistics operations of the Ward, and Monitoring & Evaluation Activities in the Communities available within the Ward.

4. All members of the Board of Trustees are to actively engage in advocacy efforts aimed at expanding the Contributors' base of the IDF and to regularly submit updates detailing the new members brought on board. The individuals in the ICDA Board of Trustees are therefore admonished to leverage on their respective strategic networks to bring in more Ijesas into the ICDA-IDF Body of Financial Contributors as advocacy contributions of each ICDA Board of Trustees shall be reviewed and assessed at every quarterly ICDA Board Meeting, with the objective of adding greater value to the ICDA-IDF Performance Records.

5. The ICDA Board of Trustees approved the renting of ICDA Secretariat Office and the hiring of One Project Manager and three Operations Officers for the new IDF Management Structure, and ensure their roles include monitoring, reporting, and operational support for the local government IDFs. Each Operations Officer shall be responsible for overseeing two IDF/LGAs in Ijesaland. The creation of an Independent Management Structure is expected to enhance the operations and effectiveness of the ICDA works and further strengthen its sustainability beyond generations.

6.  The ICDA Board of Trustees has approved the Establishment of Ijesaland Cooperative Society (ICS) with a view to reposition and enhance the Commerce Status of Ijesa Indigenes practicing in Ijesaland in the 64 Wards in Ijesaland through the provision of revolving loans to all vocational and trade groups in Ijesaland. It is projected that the gradual and steady growth of this Cooperative Society in the next five to ten years shall restore Ijesa Indigenes to the forefront of their respective vocations and trades that are being threatened by other interests. The Board further resolved that the ICDA  should follow up with the Osun State Ministry of Cooperatives and Empowerment, and the Osun State Government on the release of the State’s matching fund for the Ijesaland Cooperative Society with a view to accelerate the establishment of Ijesaland Cooperative Society. The Management Team is also to be fully prepared to release ICDA’s committed sum of ₦68,000,000 (Sixty-Eight Million Naira), together with the contribution of His Imperial Majesty, Owa Obokun Adimula and Paramount Ruler of Ijesaland, Owa Sir Dr. Clement Adesuyi Haastrup, Ajimoko III, amounting to ₦32,000,000 (Thirty-Two Million Naira). These combined contributions will total ₦100,000,000 (One Hundred Million Naira), to be made available by Ijesaland immediately upon the release of the State’s counterpart funds. 

7.  The ICDA Board of Trustees  resolved that the ICDA shall focus on the existing ongoing projects and programs such as the Leventis Foundation Agricultural Training Partnership, RLG ICT Training Partnership for the Youths, and the Health Insurance Scheme for the Elderlies in Ijesaland.

It further resolved that in addition to the above which shall be subsequently financed from each IDF-LGAs account, the following four areas of development focus and priority are to be recommended to the 64 Wards in Ijesaland to spend their respective leftover funds, namely: Education Projects, Health Projects, Youth Empowerment Projects, and Socioeconomic Infrastructure.

8. All Board of Trustees members should endeavour to review the IDF implementation manual and provide feedback/ideas via the platform or to the ICDA Chairman as appropriate.

9. The ICDA Board of Trustees and ICDA Management Team to organize a Maiden Ijesa Stakeholders Meeting via Online where the business and operations of ICDA will be presented to all the Ijesas on Thursday, 29th January 2026 at 4pm. The objective is to share with the key Stakeholders in Ijesaland the ICDA's Development Roadmap which is Ward-Based Participatory, All Community-Inclusive, All Ijesa-Inclusive development model for their respective buy-in. The newly introduced Ijesa-Wide Sustainable Development Strategy, Ijesa Development Fund (IDF) shall be further illustrated.

10. The ICDA Board of Trustees resolved that the next ICDA Board of Trustees meeting will be a face-to-face meeting which will be held on Friday, 27th March 2026 at the Ilesa residence of the ICDA Chairman, Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi at 2pm.

Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi

Asiwaju of Ijesaland,

The Chairman of ICDA,

Oke Baba Okuta Villa, Ilesa

Prince (Rev) Lowo Adebiyi

Secretary, Board of Trustees

Ijesa Community Development Assembly (ICDA)

12th January, 2026