The Director-General of the City Boy Movement, Hon. Francis Oluwatosin Shoga, has charged the newly inaugurated Ogun State executives of the Movement to deepen grassroots engagement and make service, political education and youth empowerment the focus of their activities across the state.
Shoga gave the charge at the inauguration of the Ogun State Executive Council held at Ake Palace, Abeokuta, where a large crowd of members, support groups, students, women and political stakeholders gathered for the event.
He said the turnout demonstrated the growing strength of the Movement in Ogun and reflected its determination to build an organised grassroots structure capable of reaching people in their wards, communities, campuses and places of business.
According to him, the new executives must see their inauguration as a call to service and work diligently to advance the Movement’s mandate to inform, engage and empower Nigerians.
Shoga also defended the record of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, saying he disagreed with opposition criticism of the Renewed Hope Agenda and believed that the administration had recorded achievements deserving greater public attention.
Recalling President Tinubu’s famous “Emi lokan” declaration in Abeokuta ahead of the 2023 presidential election, Shoga said Ogun State occupied an important place in the President’s political journey.
“It was here in Abeokuta that ‘Emi lokan’ became a defining message. That declaration became a reality. Today, the message we are taking around the country is another term with the President,” he said.
He urged members of the Movement to engage residents with information about government policies and programmes, saying grassroots mobilisation should be driven by direct engagement with the people.
Ogun State Deputy Governor, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, who represented Governor Dapo Abiodun at the event, similarly charged the newly inaugurated executives to take their responsibilities beyond political titles and make meaningful service to their communities a priority.
Salako-Oyedele said effective mobilisation must go beyond rallies, slogans and social media campaigns, stressing that political organisations must listen to young people, understand their aspirations and communicate with them in clear terms.
She urged the executives to engage students, artisans, entrepreneurs, professionals and young people in the informal sector across their wards and communities, while encouraging eligible voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards and participate in the democratic process.
The Deputy Governor also called on the Movement to create platforms for mentorship, political education, skills development, networking and community service, with greater opportunities for young women to participate in leadership.
“A title does not make you a leader. What you do with the responsibility and trust reposed in you is what makes you a leader,” she said.
Also speaking, the Senator representing Ogun West, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, pledged his support for the Movement and said stakeholders in the state would intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.
Adeola, who put the state’s registered voter population at about 3.01 million, said his political structure was targeting two million votes for President Tinubu, arguing that federal projects and interventions in Ogun provided a basis for seeking continued support for the administration.
“We welcome you, we celebrate you and we congratulate you on this successful inauguration of the City Boy Movement in Ogun State. You will not be alone. We will work with you and give you the necessary support,” he said.
The Senator listed the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, ongoing work on the Sagamu-Benin Expressway and other federal road projects among infrastructure investments which, in his assessment, would strengthen economic activities in the state.
Adeola also said a $7bn Memorandum of Understanding had been signed for the development of a modern port in Ogun Waterside, close to the coastal highway, adding that the proposed project could stimulate investment, employment and commercial activities in the area.
He further pointed to emerging oil and gas opportunities in Ogun Waterside, saying oil discoveries, a proposed naval base and prospective gas investments could significantly strengthen the state’s economy if the projects materialised as envisaged.
On education, Adeola cited federal interventions in tertiary institutions, including the federal takeover of Tai Solarin University of Education, as part of what he described as increased federal attention to Ogun State.
He urged members of the City Boy Movement to familiarise themselves with government projects and policies, saying political mobilisation would be more effective when those engaging residents could point to specific programmes and explain their expected impact.
The Ogun State Director of the Movement, Dr. Lateef Sulaimon, said the inauguration would enable the state chapter to consolidate its structures and expand activities across the state.
Sulaimon said the Ogun chapter already had more than 100,000 registered members and would
work with the national leadership to strengthen engagement with youths, women, students, artisans and support groups.
He assured the national leadership that the newly inaugurated executives would approach their responsibilities with discipline and unity while building a stronger grassroots structure for the Movement.
Among those present were the Personal Assistant to the President on Special Duties and Patron of the City Boy Movement in Ogun State, Alhaji Kamorudeen Yusuf; the Movement’s National Secretary, Tosin Odufuwa; members of the national leadership, state executives, support groups, students and other stakeholders.
SHAFIHI ABDULRASHEED is a communication strategist and media professional with expertise in public relations, strategic communication, and crisis management. A graduate of the University of Ilorin with a degree in Sociology and currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Peace and Security Studies, Shafihi holds the professional credential of Associate, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (ANIPR). His career spans media relations, perception management, policy communication, and organizational leadership. He possesses over a decade of experience working with government, non-profit organizations, and private sector clients on matters of strategic communication and public engagement.
