Seun Ashamu: Charting a Bold, Climate-Resilient Future for Oyo State—Akinloluwa Akinbode

With unrelenting drive, strategic governance and clear administrative foresight, Governor Seyi Makinde recently repositioned one of his administration’s most transformative technocrats, Hon. Seun Ashamu, as the new Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources. This move — part of a minor but impactful cabinet reshuffle — comes after Ashamu’s remarkable tenure as the pioneer Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, where he championed renewable energy access and innovative resource optimization across Oyo State.

This redeployment signals a decisive recalibration of Oyo’s environmental trajectory — a deliberate deployment of tested technical capacity to address the state’s complex environmental and climate challenges. Since stepping into his new role at the Environment House, the Oyo-born lawyer has wasted no time setting the tone for a new era of proactive and technologically anchored environmental governance.

One of Ashamu’s immediate actions has been to launch an institutional and operational audit of the state’s environmental framework. This involves a comprehensive review of waste management systems, sanitation policies, enforcement architecture and robust engagement with PSP operators and street sweepers. His quick identification of systemic inefficiencies in the collection, evacuation, and disposal of solid waste across urban and semi-urban areas underscores his results-driven style.

At the heart of his vision is the “Clean and Green Oyo” initiative — a climate-responsive sustainability campaign that extends beyond mere aesthetics. The plan includes afforestation drives, community-led recycling programmes, and the integration of ecological awareness into schools, markets and local communities.

Recognising the perennial threat of flooding — from the infamous 1980 Omiyale disaster to the devastating August 2011 floods — Ashamu is placing strategic emphasis on desilting primary and secondary drainage channels and tightening enforcement against indiscriminate waste disposal. His ministry is strengthening regulatory frameworks and collaborating with relevant agencies to ensure compliance with environmental protection laws.

In an impressive stride toward aligning Oyo with global climate goals, Hon. Ashamu represented the state at the United Nations Bonn Climate Change Conference in Germany. There, he championed the state’s push for advanced early warning systems, advocating for satellite-based meteorological infrastructure and modern flood forecasting tools to protect lives, farms and infrastructure.

Since his return, he has begun translating these global engagements into local action — shaping Oyo’s climate resilience roadmap, developing integrated climate adaptation plans and launching green workforce training initiatives. His office is actively pursuing partnerships for early warning systems and improved data collection to drive evidence-based policy and planning.

Under Ashamu’s stewardship, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources is moving from routine waste management to a new paradigm of technologically driven, evidence-based environmental governance. His blend of policy intellect, global perspective and on-the-ground pragmatism is a testament to Gov. Seyi Makinde’s commitment to sustainable development, intergenerational equity and institutional excellence.

In essence, Hon. Seun Ashamu is not just managing Oyo’s environment — he is strategically engineering a future where ecological integrity, climate resilience and human well-being are non-negotiable pillars of development. For Oyo State, this is not just about staying clean — it’s about staying prepared for the future.

#CleanAndGreenOyo #ClimateResilience #GoodGovernance #SeunAshamu #OyoState