VIDEO: Pictures collage as Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi answers pressmen's questions on IDF
How the First Asiwaju of Ijesaland originated a community-owned funding model, mobilised support and established a framework for grassroots development across six local governments
The conception of the Ijesaland Development Fund (IDF) by the First Asiwaju of Ijesaland, Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi, represents a significant milestone in the search for a sustainable, inclusive and community-owned approach to development across Ijesaland.
The initiative was born from a fundamental question: how could Ijesaland move beyond dependence on government interventions, occasional appeals to wealthy individuals and a relatively small circle of donors to establish a sustainable funding mechanism in which every Ijesa could participate?
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| Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi at the IDF Grand Launching |
VIDEO: Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi addressing the Muslims on IDF at Ilesa Central Mosque
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Fasuyi's response was to conceive a structured development fund that would mobilise the collective financial strength of Ijesa sons and daughters at home and in the diaspora, while giving communities a direct role in identifying their needs and determining their development priorities.
This was the defining idea behind the Ijesaland Development Fund. The initiative was not simply about raising money; it was about creating an enduring institution through which community participation could be converted into practical development.
The Idea: From a Development Challenge to a Community-Owned Solution
The IDF emerged from Fasuyi's conviction that sustainable development requires more than the goodwill of a few generous individuals. It requires an organised system that encourages broad participation, establishes clear priorities and makes development a shared responsibility.
The need for such a model was underscored by the experience of previous community development efforts, which had attracted approximately 615 contributors from an estimated Ijesaland population of 1,299,390.
For Fasuyi, this gap represented both a challenge and an opportunity. Rather than continue relying principally on a limited pool of contributors, he conceived a decentralised funding structure that would extend participation to the wider Ijesa population, irrespective of social standing or financial capacity.
The guiding principle became clear: “The Sustainable Development of Ijesaland Is the Responsibility of All Ijesas.”
The model was designed to cover the six local government areas of Ijesaland — Ilesa East, Ilesa West, Obokun, Oriade, Atakumosa East and Atakumosa West — with development initiatives organised around the needs of communities and wards.
The significance of this first phase cannot be overlooked. Before funds could be raised, wards equipped or projects executed, somebody had to identify the limitations of the existing approach and conceive a workable alternative. That originating initiative is central to the record of Fasuyi's contribution to Ijesaland's development.
From Conception to Mobilisation
Having conceived the framework, Fasuyi, through the Ijesa Community Development Assembly (ICDA), moved to mobilise the institutional and financial support required to bring the idea to life.
The initiative was formally launched on October 21, 2025, with the participation and royal endorsement of the Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland, Owa Clement Adesuyi Haastrup, Ajimoko III.
The launch opened the door to contributions from Ijesa people and supporters of the community, with a structured model that allowed individuals to participate according to their means. The stated minimum annual contribution was ₦1,000, while larger contributions remained open-ended.
The initial unveiling recorded total receipts of ₦115,990,000, with ₦19,331,667 allocated to each of the six local government areas, according to the launch report. This marked a practical step from the original idea to a funded framework for community development.
Fasuyi also demonstrated personal commitment to the initiative. During the IDF capacity-building engagements in February 2026, he was listed among six recognised IDF Ambassadors who had contributed ₦1 million to each of the six local government areas, amounting to ₦6 million.
Other recognised contributors were Owa Clement Adesuyi Haastrup, Supo Shadiya, Sir Olalekan Oyeleye, Dr Ademola Aladekomo and Dame Erelu Olusola Obada. Their contributions strengthened the Fund's financial base and demonstrated the importance of collective participation.
Planning: Giving Communities the Tools to Choose Their Priorities
A development fund can only deliver meaningful results when the resources it attracts are matched with genuine community needs and sound planning.
This informed the next major phase of the IDF's development: equipping grassroots leaders to identify, assess and prioritise projects rather than allowing decisions to be driven solely by assumptions or the preferences of a few individuals.
Following an ICDA Board of Trustees resolution in January 2026, the Assembly organised a weeklong capacity-building programme themed “Community Needs Identification and Appraisal for the Ijesa Development Fund (IDF).”
The programme commenced on February 9, 2026, at Ibokun Town Hall in Obokun Local Government Area and continued through Iperindo in Atakumosa East, Ijebu-Jesa in Oriade and Osu in Atakumosa West, before concluding in Ilesa for participants from Ilesa East and Ilesa West.
Fasuyi led the ICDA management team throughout the engagements, explaining that the IDF was designed to empower wards to identify and prioritise their own development needs.
Development expert Prof. Niyi Okunlola, a professor at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, and a World Bank consultant, delivered training on needs identification and assessment. The sessions introduced practical tools, including structured checklists and ranking and scoring matrices, to help communities document needs and determine priorities.
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| Owaloko of Iloko-Ijesa Oba Akeem Ogungbangbe and Alagba Wale Idowu at the weeklong capacity-building programme |
The programme emphasised participation, inclusiveness, objectivity, transparency, cultural sensitivity and sustainability. These principles were intended to help ensure that the projects eventually selected would reflect genuine needs and have a realistic prospect of delivering lasting benefits.
Traditional rulers, community leaders, ward executives and other stakeholders participated across the local government areas. Their involvement reinforced the principle that grassroots development should be informed by the people it is intended to serve.
Implementation: Turning the Framework into an Operating Institution
The IDF's implementation framework extends beyond collecting contributions. It establishes ward-level structures through which communities can identify priorities, while the Fund provides a mechanism for financing approved development initiatives across Ijesaland.
The February 2026 training was therefore an important step towards translating the Fund's original vision into a functioning grassroots development process. It sought to strengthen the capacity of ward executives before the utilisation of IDF resources for community projects.
The programme also connected grassroots development with economic empowerment. During the engagements, Fasuyi disclosed a ₦100 million revolving loan scheme for cooperative societies, facilitated through the Osun State Ministry of Cooperative and Empowerment. The scheme was backed by ₦68 million from ICDA and ₦32 million from the Owa Obokun, with Ijesaland identified as the first beneficiary in Osun State.
By March 2026, ICDA had also strengthened the IDF's institutional arrangements through the appointment of Alagba Wale Idowu as substantive chairman, the expansion of the management team, the establishment of an operational office with permanent staff, and the introduction of an 11-point monthly deliverables framework.
The reporting framework covers financial contributions, membership growth, project execution, budget utilisation and performance across the six local government areas. Monthly performance updates and regular reporting to the ICDA Board were also prescribed to strengthen transparency and accountability.
These measures demonstrate the intended progression from an idea to resource mobilisation, from mobilisation to structured planning, and from planning towards implementation and measurable results.
The Five Principles Behind the Milestone
Leadership by example: Fasuyi did not stop at advocating collective responsibility. He helped establish a mechanism for participation and was himself recognised among contributors who committed ₦6 million across the six local government areas.
Vision: The IDF was conceived as a continuing development institution, not a one-off fundraising campaign for a single project. Its ward-based structure and inclusion of the diaspora reflect a longer-term ambition for Ijesaland.
Integrity: The model depends on contributors having confidence that the Fund will serve the collective interest and that resources will be managed responsibly.
Transparency: The contribution framework, stakeholder engagement, defined management responsibilities and reporting arrangements are intended to make the process open to scrutiny.
Accountability: Needs assessment, project prioritisation, budget utilisation reports, monthly performance updates and monitoring arrangements connect contributions with decisions and results.
A Milestone Beyond Fundraising
The Ijesaland Development Fund stands as a milestone because it addresses both the need for development finance and the need for a reliable community structure through which development priorities can be identified and pursued.
Its long-term success will depend on sustained participation, responsible financial management, sound project selection and the delivery of results that communities can see and evaluate.
For the record of Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi's decade of service and impact in Ijesaland, the distinction is important: his contribution was not limited to mobilising people after a project had been conceived. The IDF began with the development challenge he identified and the inclusive funding solution he initiated, followed by mobilisation, planning and the building of structures intended to support implementation.
That sequence gives the milestone its proper context. The Fund's significance lies not only in the resources it attracts, but in the original vision to make the sustainable development of Ijesaland a shared responsibility of its people.
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