The Chairman of the Ijesa Community Development Assembly (ICDA), Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi, has presented a comprehensive report on the activities, achievements, and future development roadmap of the Assembly during an ICDA Stakeholders’ Meeting, reaffirming the organisation’s commitment to sustainable, people-driven development across Ijesaland.
The presentation highlighted ICDA’s evolution as a non-partisan, inclusive platform established to mobilise and unite sons and daughters of Ijesaland at home and in the diaspora toward holistic socioeconomic transformation.
A Shared Vision for Sustainable Development
While addressing stakeholders, Asiwaju Fasuyi explained that ICDA’s vision is to build a prosperous, self-reliant, and sustainably developed Ijesaland through inclusive participation and collective investment in grassroots-driven initiatives. He noted that the Assembly deploys mobilised resources transparently and accountably to projects prioritised by local communities.
According to him, ICDA’s interventions span education, healthcare, youth empowerment, infrastructure, and economic development, with deliberate efforts to ensure that every Ijesa indigene—regardless of status, age, or location—has a voice in shaping the future of the region.
Key Achievements Highlighted at the Meeting
In his presentation, Asiwaju Fasuyi recalled ICDA’s decisive intervention during the 2019 electricity crisis in Ijesaland, following the destruction of power infrastructure during youth unrest. He noted that ICDA’s engagement with stakeholders prevented a potential five-year blackout that would have severely disrupted economic and social activities across the region.
He also highlighted the Unity, Peace and Development meetings organised in 2019, which brought together traditional rulers and community leaders to strengthen cohesion and collective responsibility for development.
Other milestones presented include the establishment of the Ijesa Mineral Resources Development Forum (IMRDF) to promote environmentally sustainable mining practices, and the construction of an ultra-modern Owa Obokun Adimula’s Palace, completed within nine months and commissioned in December 2020.
Advancing Healthcare and Social Welfare
Asiwaju Fasuyi informed stakeholders that ICDA’s healthcare interventions remain a major pillar of its development agenda. He cited the commissioning of the Ijesaland Geriatric Centre in March 2022, describing it as the second geriatric centre in Nigeria and the largest in West Africa.
He further disclosed that the Ijesa Health Insurance Scheme, facilitated under ICDA, has so far covered 3,000 indigent elders in 2024, with an additional 2,000 elders enrolled for the 2025/2026 phase, in line with the vision of promoting longevity and healthy living among Ijesa people.
Education, Youth Development and Economic Empowerment
The ICDA Chairman also highlighted sustained investments in youth development, including the sponsorship of over 400 Ijesa youths at the Federal Science and Technical College, Ilesa, for three consecutive years.
He noted ICDA’s role in the upgrade of the Osun State College of Education, Ilesa, to the University of Ilesa, as well as partnerships with the Leventis Foundation and RLG, which have provided agricultural, ICT, and technical skills training to hundreds of Ijesa youths. Graduates of these programmes have also benefited from post-training grants to support enterprise development.
Ijesa Development Fund Takes Centre Stage
A major highlight of the stakeholders’ meeting was the presentation on the Ijesa Development Fund (IDF), described by Asiwaju Fasuyi as a pioneering, inclusive, and participatory financing model designed to fund community-prioritised projects across all wards and local governments in Ijesaland.
He explained that the IDF operates a ten-level donor structure, allowing contributions from as low as ₦1,000 to ₦1,000,000, thereby encouraging broad-based participation. The fund was officially launched in October 2025 by the Owa Obokun Adimula and Paramount Ruler of Ijesaland, Oba Clement Adesuyi Haastrup.
Projects eligible for IDF funding include schools, ICT hubs, healthcare facilities, rural roads, markets, boreholes, community halls, and cooperative societies, with communities contributing 10 per cent counterpart funding to enhance ownership and sustainability.
Strengthening Transparency and Governance
Asiwaju Fasuyi also disclosed the establishment of the Ijesaland Independent Development Monitors (IIDM) to promote transparency, accountability, and good governance in the utilisation of public resources across the six local governments in Ijesaland.
He added that ICDA has instituted a structured governance and reporting framework for IDF operations, including ward-level representation, LGA oversight committees, and mandatory monthly financial and performance reporting.
Call for Collective Responsibility
In closing his presentation, Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi charged all stakeholders to remain committed to the collective responsibility of rebuilding, restoring, and repositioning Ijesaland.
“No finger is too small and no hand is too big. Every contribution counts in the development of Ijesaland,” he said, urging greater participation in the Ijesa Development Fund and other ICDA initiatives.
The stakeholders’ meeting concluded with renewed calls for unity, shared ownership, and sustained collaboration in driving long-term development across Ijesaland.
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