Repositioning Ogbomoso for the global economy, by Prof Adeolu Afolabi
(A paper presented by Prof. Adeolu O. Afolabi of Department of Cybersecurity, LAUTECH at the official opening of Ogbomoso Center of American Open University, Nigeria, on Saturday, October 10, 2026)
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It is a great pleasure and honour to give address as the guest speaker, in this ground breaking programme of Ogbomoso Center of American Open University Nigeria. It is quite a laudable development in the right direction more so, when this is one of the envisioned developments anticipated by kabiyesi His imperial Majesty in his 25years Development plan of Ogbomosoland. Ogbomoso Education Development plan is a strong vision and passion of His imperial majesty and this vision is actually expressed by this feat, particularly with a view of providing a global and tech leverage in tertiary Education.
Introduction
Ogbomoso is the second-largest city in Oyo State, Nigeria, known for its rich history in agricultural dominance and major educational landmarks, the first Professor in the whole nation comes from Ogbomoso, Prof N. Oyerinde, so this is a welcome idea, that will blaze the trail of emerging development that is of global standard. The wider Ogbomoso zone covers five local governments (Ogbomoso North, Ogbomoso South, Oriire, Ogo-Oluwa, and Surulere), with Ogbomoso North and South forming the urban core. Its climate Tropical savanna is (Aw) with distinct wet and dry seasons and average temperatures ranging from 25°C to 35°C.
Ogbomoso Population is estimated at over 744,000 for the urban center, making it one of the most populated cities in Oyo State and southwest Nigeria after Lagos and Ibadan. Economically, Agriculture and trading have been the primary occupation, with local farming producing crops like yam, cassava, and other staples, alongside small medium enterprises. generation Educationally, Ogbomosho has four degree-awarding institutions of higher learning presently. Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) ranked at the top of the later universities in Nigeria. It awards degrees in science, engineering, technology and medicine of recent it widens its horizon to cover both Social and Art studies. This university has a teaching hospital named LAUTECH Teaching Hospital. Also The Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary (NBTS), one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in Nigeria and the first to award degrees, offers programs in theology, sociology and philosophy in Nigeria. The Seminary serves the Baptist Church in Nigeria, The Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC), which also has its headquarters in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Bowen University Teaching Hospital Ogbomoso (BUTH) Christian Teaching Hospital training doctors and other medical professionals. Originally established in March 1907 as a missionary 1 medical facility and through the years, developing into the Baptist Medical Centre and later transformed to a Teaching Hospital in 2009.
Related News:
The Federal Government of Nigeria recently approved the establishment of Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, a satellite town of Ogbomosho. Learning and research activities have commenced in this institution. In the same vein, recently, the federal government also approved the establishment of one of the four campuses of the National Academy for Cultural Studies (NACUS) in Ogbomosho. The headquarter of the renowned SQI College of ICT is located in this city. So with this background, the coming of American Open University in Ogbomoso will further foster Ogbomoso repositioning for global Academic, Technology and Economic impact, being an Open University, it will provide framework, a hub and leverage for hybrid learning being driven with latest asynchronous learning infrastructure in collaborations with global icons of open learning institutions like Coursera, Google, aws educate and others, this is going to provide and foster collaboration, skill development and broadens inclusivity of Ogbomoso and Ogbomoso people in Tech and academic development for global and local relevance in solving existential challenges of our time.
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Global Economy
Global economy concept explains the interconnected economic activities and exchanges that take place globally. It involves the production, commerce and consumption of goods and services that cross national borders, connecting countries, businesses and consumers into one massive economic system.
The global economy is built on key pivots such as international trade, cross-border investment, global supply chains, multinational corporations and financial markets. Countries specialize in producing certain goods and services more efficiently than others, driving trade. Foreign direct investment allows companies to expand production globally, while complex supply chains ensure that raw materials, intermediate goods and finished products move seamlessly across borders.
The importance of the global economy lies in how it promotes economic growth, innovation and cultural exchange. By tapping into global markets, businesses can reach more customers and access resources unavailable domestically. Consumers benefit from greater product variety and competitive prices. Countries gain economic opportunities by participating in global trade, lifting millions out of poverty over the last century. The development of global economy has also driven advancements in technology, logistics and communication. Nigeria holds the position of Africa’s largest economy and ranks sixth globally in its projected contribution to real GDP growth. Projected by the IMF to contribute 1.5% to global real GDP growth, placing it ahead of major countries like Germany and Brazil.
Nigeria retains the largest economy in Africa with a GDP around $440 billion, supported by diverse sectors including finance, IT, agriculture, and entertainment and this is where Ogbomoso can key in. Nigeria Investment Risk Ranking climbed four places to rank 8th out of 19 African economies on the Bloomberg Economics Investment Risk-O-Meter this year due to improvements in economic and fiscal strength.
Ogbomoso Economy
Ogbomosho has about 257 surrounding villages and emerging towns which amalgamated to the rulership of Soun of Ogbomosoland. The major economy in the land is Education and Agriculture: Cashew and mango plantations are widely distributed across the land, one time, Ogbomoso people are the largest planter of cassava across the globe. The people of the land also engage in trading globally, the people are widely travelled. Other industries include banking, 2 small-scale manufacturing, and construction exist in the city, inadequate government investment in infrastructural facilities and policy guidance for local initiatives have undermined the economic growth and development of the town. However, this kind of development will bring attractions of manufacturers and investors to the economic development of the city.
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Global Economy Goals
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) integrate economic growth with social inclusion and environmental protection to shape a resilient global economy.
Core Economic Goals
Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): Promotes sustained, inclusive economic growth, full employment, and productive work.
Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): Encourages resilient infrastructure, sustainable industrialization, and tech innovation.
Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities): Focuses on income growth for the bottom 40% and fair global economic policies.
Repositioning Ogbomoso for Global Economy
Ogbomoso has lands, people, and institutions. But global economy as from 2026 is driven by three things: AI & Tech, Food Security, and Trusted Digital Systems. Ogbomoso is rich in all the three, but need to be more positioned to benefit. Land remains underutilized, sold as plots, while graduates leave fulfilling global outsourcing with japa syndrome.
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The Opportunity
Global Food Need: Cashew, cassava, mango prices high globally. Ogbomoso produces these in abundance, so there is need for platforms to leverage all these for global patronage.
Global Tech Need: World needs low-cost tech talents for Cybersecurity monitoring, AI labeling. LAUTECH and American Open University can supply necessary skilled and trained personnels along this divide.
Diaspora Trust: Ogbomoso has huge diaspora in US, UK, Canada who want to invest back home but fear land fraud. In order to propose solutions to these challenges This Ogbomoso 3-Pivotal Model Constructs is proposed for execution by relevant stakeholders.
Pivot 1: Ogbomoso Agro-Industrial Land Zone
Designate 5,000 hectares in Surulere/Orire for Cashew & Cassava Processing Cluster
Provision of C of O within 60 days, solar-powered processing, with direct link to Lagos port with this we can target creation of like 10,000 jobs, increase land value three times.
Pivot 2: Ogbomoso Tech & Knowledge Land Zone
20 hectares around LAUTECH axis as Ogbomoso Tech Village. If Stanford built Silicon Valley, MIT Boston Tech, Covenant industrial Hub then LAUTECH and American Open University can build “Ogbomoso Valley”. In 2026, global economy rewards towns with an IT University that converts land and brains into global products. With LAUTECH and American Open University having faculty for programmes like Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Information Technology and Computer Science a full IT University are now in place and this proof to be a big asset to Ogbomoso. We need to stop seeing these as mere schools in Ogbomoso but starting having a conceptual view that these are Ogbomoso’s Global Economic Factory.
Pivot 3: Ogbomoso Blockchain Land Registry (OBLR)
Both undergraduate projects and post graduate dissertations can contribute to Secure digital land registry using block chain technology. All Ogbomoso family lands, C of O, and survey plans digitized and secured with cybersecurity protocols. Diaspora can verify and buy land from abroad via portals accessible through digital platforms. This solves fraud, builds global trust, aligns with Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA).
Inclusion of American Open University.
From American Open University vision and mission statements, the university stands to offers a suite of forward-thinking programs designed to empower students to excel at the intersection of technology and essential societal domains. Also, it cultivates digital literacy, ethical awareness, and innovative problem-solving skills, preparing graduates to lead in a technology-driven world. This University programs are to bridge academic theory with practical application, empowering students to shape the future of business, education, media, and everyday life. Hence it promises to leverage cutting-edge technology to deliver an affordable, flexible, and engaging education that prepares graduates for high-demand jobs.
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Summarily
Repositioning the Ogbomoso economy for global visibility relies on an aggressive, multifaceted strategy driven by evolution of educational institutions like this and implementation of a structured 25-year development plan championed by the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III, in active collaboration with other relevant stakeholders. This blueprint aims to shift Ogbomoso from a serene, university-reliant town into a modernized, tech-driven global economic hub. In conclusion, the fundamental transformation of Ogbomoso Economy centers on the following thrusts.
First, technology and digital knowledge economy: rather than relying solely on traditional commerce, Ogbomoso can heavily integrate technology into its growth model. The establishment of new global educational campuses—such as the American Open University Nigeria Ogbomoso Center—serves to build a pipeline for digital education, cyber security, and remote global workforce opportunities. By leveraging youth and talents, the city is moving from local hustling to building structured innovation hubs capable of absorbing the town’s dense population of tech-savvy youth.
Second, Agro-Industrial Transformation: Ogbomoso features immense agricultural advantages that are transitioning from subsistence farming to value-added processing. This will position Ogbomoso as an alternative to saturated mega-cities relies heavily on its geographic location along the Lagos–Ibadan–Ilorin–Abuja trade corridor. The newly communities straight to city markets, cutting down transport times for agro-exports significantly. The ongoing prioritization of the remaining stretches of the Oyo-Ogbomoso Expressway further enhances rapid logistics access to both northern and southern markets, effectively utilizing the city’s close proximity to the Ilorin Airport.
The future of the global economy will likely be shaped by technological innovation, sustainability efforts and shifting power dynamics. Artificial intelligence, automation and green energy will redefine industries and job markets. Ogbomoso if well positioned for global economy promises to be an emerging economy like India are poised to climb the global economy rankings, challenging the dominance of current leaders.
