— Monarch, Asiwaju, others urge FG to invest more in border communities
— Community commends Abiodun for deploying teachers to schools
By Lekan Lisoye
The Onimeko of Imeko, Oba Benjamin Alabi Olanite, has appealed to the Federal Government to establish a training school for the Nigeria Customs Service in the border town, citing its historical significance and strategic location along Nigeria’s international frontier.
The monarch made the call at a press conference organised to herald the 2026 Imeko Agbinrekoti Festival at the Imeko Conference Hall.
The event, held under the theme, “Preserving Our Heritage: Fostering Love, Unity and an Empowered Future,” brought together traditional rulers, community leaders and prominent indigenes of Imeko, including Professor Anthony Asiwaju, Dr Dele Ogunsiji and Chief Mary Ogunjobi, a former Ogun State Commissioner for Women Affairs.
The community leaders used the occasion to highlight the developmental challenges confronting Imeko, particularly in education, infrastructure, healthcare and security, while commending the Ogun State Government for its intervention in addressing the shortage of teachers in schools across the border community.
Oba Olanite recalled that the educational challenges in Imeko were highlighted during an education summit organised by the administration of former Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.
He said the community was described at the summit as being “at the bottom of the ladder” in terms of educational development, noting that the shortage of teachers and inadequate facilities had continued to undermine learning in the area.
According to him, the situation became so critical that some schools had only a handful of teachers, with the available personnel forced to teach several subjects while simultaneously performing administrative responsibilities.
The monarch, however, commended the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun for responding to the concerns by deploying additional teachers to schools in the area.
“Thank God for the present administration. When we were complaining about teachers, some schools had only two teachers on their staff. The principal, vice-principal and teachers for virtually all the subjects were being handled by just two people.
“It was when we began to speak out that, thank God, the Ogun State Government, under the leadership of Prince Dapo Abiodun, and the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, ensured that teachers were sent here,” he said.
Oba Olanite said the intervention demonstrated the importance of sustained government attention to the educational needs of border communities, but stressed that more efforts were required to bridge the development gap.
He urged the Federal and Ogun State governments to intensify investments in education, healthcare, roads and other critical infrastructure in Imeko.
The monarch also linked the development challenges facing the town to the broader needs of border settlements, arguing that sustained neglect of such communities could have implications for national development and security.
On the proposed Customs training institution, Oba Olanite said Imeko's historical and geographical significance made it suitable for such a facility.
He said the town had played an important role in Nigeria's frontier administration dating back to the colonial era, adding that establishing a specialised training institution there would further strengthen the country's border management capacity.
>“I think the government should consider establishing a training school for either the Customs Service or Immigration Service here.
“Everything about the frontier in Nigeria started here. That is why we are pursuing a school and institution like the National Institute for Border Studies, which is there to assist Nigeria.”
The monarch disclosed that the community was prepared to support the establishment of a Federal institution by making land and other necessary assistance available.
Also speaking, Professor Anthony Asiwaju called on governments at all levels to pay greater attention to communities located along Nigeria's international borders, particularly in the areas of education, security, economic development and infrastructure.
Asiwaju also urged the Border Communities Development Agency to expand its interventions in Imeko, saying residents were yet to sufficiently feel the impact of the agency established to promote development in border communities.
He said Imeko's historical role in Nigeria's frontier administration should be reflected in the scale of government investment in the town.
The former member of the House of Representatives for Imeko/Afon and Yewa North Federal Constituency, Dr Dele Ogunsiji, commended Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola for sponsoring a bill seeking the establishment of a Federal College of Frontier and Border Studies in Imeko.
Ogunsiji appealed to the National Assembly and the Federal Government to support the initiative, expressing optimism that the proposed institution would strengthen education and capacity development in the border region.
He stressed that education remained the foundation of sustainable development, adding that the challenges confronting Imeko could not be effectively addressed without deliberate investment in human capital.
The Chairman of the Central Planning Committee for the Agbinrekoti Festival, Otunba Anthony Adewale Ajibode, said the annual celebration was designed to bring together residents, traditional institutions, community leaders and other stakeholders to celebrate Imeko's cultural heritage and deliberate on its development.
Ajibode, who was represented by the Secretary of the planning committee, Dr Tunde Aninkan, said the festival also provided an opportunity to draw government attention to the developmental challenges confronting the border town.
He urged the Federal and Ogun State governments to sustain interventions in education while expanding investments in infrastructure, healthcare, security and economic opportunities for residents.
He maintained that greater development of Imeko would benefit not only its residents but also contribute to Nigeria's broader security and economic interests, given the town's strategic position along the country's international frontier.
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