By Akinloluwa Akinbode
With his unrelenting move reflecting strategic governance and administrative foresight, Governor Seyi Makinde recently announced the erstwhile and pioneer Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Hon. Seun Ashamu as the new Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources in a minor cabinet reshuffle after years of great impacts at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in Oyo State, where the latter championed transformative initiatives in renewable energy access and optimization of the state’s resources.
The reshuffling has since marked a pivotal moment in the recalibration and transformation of Oyo’s environmental trajectory, which is seen as a deliberate deployment of technical expertise, given Barrister Ashamu’s proven track record in public service, particularly during his tenure at his former office.
Since assuming office at the Environment House, the Oyo-born lawyer has hit the ground running with the commencement of an institutional and operational audit of the state’s environmental governance framework, which involves a comprehensive review of existing waste management systems, environmental sanitation policies, enforcement architecture and even, interfacing with PSP operators and street sweepers.
With the swift identification of systemic inefficiencies in the collection, evacuation and disposal of solid waste across urban and semi-urban areas across the state.
One of Ashamu’s early policy thrusts is the “Clean and Green Oyo” initiative, which is meant to serve as a climate-responsive and sustainability-driven campaign. This initiative will expand beyond aesthetics to incorporate afforestation programmes, community-led recycling schemes and the institutionalization of ecological awareness through school and market-based advocacy engagements.
Furthermore, the ministry under Ashamu is prioritizing the desilting of primary and secondary drainage channels to mitigate perennial flooding that has plagued parts of the state due to improper waste disposal and climate-induced rainfall patterns.
Most of us heard the foklores and read in history of the catastrophic 1980 Omiyale flood, while we witnessed the August 2011 and many other terrific experiences of flooding, and in response, there is a mandate of regulatory enforcement in environmental sustainability and collaboration with relevant agencies to bolster compliance with environmental protection laws.
In a significant stride toward aligning Oyo State with global climate policy frameworks, Hon. Ashamu represented the state at the United Nations Bonn Climate Change Conference in Germany where he articulated Oyo State’s interest in early warning systems, advocating for the deployment of satellite-based meteorological infrastructure and other modern flood forecasting tools as essentials to the preservation of lives, farmlands and infrastructure.
Since his return, Ashamu has begun laying the groundwork for Oyo State’s climate resilience roadmap, integrating outcomes from Bonn into actionable policy blueprints. This includes the development of an integrated climate adaptation plan and the initiation of green workforce development through technical training programmes. His office is also exploring partnerships to implement early warning infrastructure and enhance data collection for environmental planning.
Hon. Seun Ashamu’s leadership in the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources represents a paradigm shift from the usual waste management duties to evidence-based and technologically anchoured environmental governance. His approach blends policy intellect, global insight and on-the-ground pragmatism. His work continues to reinforce the broader agenda of sustainable development, intergenerational equity and institutional excellence of Gov. Seyi Makinde’s roadmap agenda in Oyo State.
In essence, Ashamu is not only managing the environment but strategically engineering a future where ecological integrity, human well-being and climate resilience converge as non-negotiable priorities for Oyo State.
