Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, has approved the appointments of Mr. Bayo Akande and Mr. Kazeem Bolarinwa as Special Assistant on Information Communication Technology (ICT)/E-Governance and Special Assistant on Youth and Sports respectively.
The two appointments were with immediate effect, according to their letters of appointment.
A statement signed by the Special Assistant (Print Media) to Governor Makinde, Moses Alao, quoted the Governor as charging the duo to see their appointment as a call to service and “to discharge their duties with absolute loyalty, dedication and diligence.”
The new Special Assistant on ICT and E-Governance, Akande, holds an M.Sc. in Business and Management from Aston University and a B.Eng. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Sheffield.
He has, for many years, been a player in the Technology Industry as the founder and CEO of Orb Solutions, a full service technology company that specialises in the areas of managed technology services, server management, IT support as well as web and mobile app development.
“Orb has successfully developed E-commerce platforms, financial trading platforms, University Management systems and mobile apps for a number of blue chip clients such as Total E & P Nigeria Limited.
“Akande’s in-depth knowledge of the Technology Industry has enabled him in the establishment of West Midlands CBT Ltd, a technology services company that was established in 2013 primarily to bring about a revolution in how examinations are conducted in Nigeria. “The company sees to the operation of thousands of computers between Lagos and Ibadan. It conducts JAMB examinations and distant learning exams for Universities such as the University of Ibadan, National Open University of Nigeria amongst others,” the statement said.
Bolarinwa, the newly-appointed Special Assistant on Youth and Sports, is a 29-year-old Ibadan-based good governance advocate, who graduated with a First Class in Business Administration and holds a Masters in the same field.
“He has demonstrated competence in Business Development, Youth ‘Advocacy and Emancipation’ over the years, with his contribution towards rewriting the narrative of Ibadan to the world, using the social media.
“As a 26-years-old, Bolarinwa as a seasoned Business Consultant, founded his consulting firm Ireign Classique Consult Nigeria with branches in Kaduna, Kano and Jigawa, with which he traverses NYSC camps (such as Oyo, Osun, Kaduna, Kano, and Jigawa NYSC camps) to impart knowledge in Nigerian youths through public speaking and to orientate them for skill acquisition.
“His company is registered as a Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) partner with the Federal and some states government.
“In 2018, Bolarinwa convened a political movement called Deliver Oyo (DO), a movement geared towards preaching good governance, youth participation in politics and advocating for leadership. With this platform, he was able to traverse the zones of Oyo State and all tertiary institutions in the state to preach his belief.
“Bolarinwa was one of the advocates of Not Too Young To Run in Oyo State,” the statement added.
Rural electrification key to my administration’s agenda
The Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde, said on Friday that the rural electrification is important to his administration, stating that he was ready to partner with Austria on renewable energy, especially in power generation from dams in the State.
A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that Governor Makinde made the state while receiving a delegation from the Austrian Embassy led by Commercial Counsellor at the Austrian Embassy, Mr. Guido Stock, who paid a courtesy visit to his office.
The Governor stated that his administration was committed to developing the rural areas in the state by providing electricity and accessible road networks to all the length and breadth of the State.”
He said: “When I was informed about this courtesy visit on a talk regarding renewable energy, especially on power generation from some of our dams around Oyo State, I felt elated as someone who studied Engineering. It was like being teased by something one really loves. So, I quickly accepted the visitation.”
“We are very much interested in developing our rural areas and providing electricity in those places; providing road access to the rural communities and it is one of the areas through which we feel we can expand our economy. So, I guess after this meeting, we can meet again to discuss privately on the projects.
“We are very much interested in looking through this proposal. I know Austria for skiing. I am sure you would probably be the world leader in skiing equipment but unfortunately for us here, it’s a warm environment all year round.”
Earlier, Mr. Stock said his country was a small country in the heart of Europe, with a population of about nine million people but that it “is technology-driven.”
“I may say we are big country when it comes to technology,” he said.
Mr. Stock, who noted that he had been in Nigeria since 1990 as commercial counselor and that he “loves and enjoys living in Nigeria,” said that Austria with its technological advancement could be of help to Oyo State.
“We can work together successfully. Austria has over 300 enterprises that specialise in different technologies such as airport firefighters, railways equipment, plastic machinery, waste collection/processing items.
“If you look for renewable energy, you will see that it is from Austria,” he said.
