ByAdemola Ade
Residents of Imeko, a border community in Ogun State, have called on the Federal Government to establish a training institution for the Nigeria Customs Service or Nigeria Immigration Service in the town, citing its historical role as a frontier settlement and strategic location on Nigeria’s international border.
The Onimeko of Imeko, Oba Benjamin Olanite, made the call yesterday at a press conference to herald the 2026 Imeko Festival, also known as the Imeko Agbinrekoti Festival.
The monarch said a federal training institution would strengthen border administration and stimulate development in the community.
“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,” he said.
Oba Olanite said the community was ready to provide land and other necessary support for the establishment of a federal institution.
The monarch, however, expressed concern over the state of education in the border community, particularly inadequate teachers and infrastructure.
He recalled an education summit organised by the administration of former Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, where Imeko was described as being “at the bottom of the ladder” in educational development.
According to him, the situation had become so critical that some schools were being run by only a handful of teachers who simultaneously performed administrative and teaching duties.
“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.
While commending the state government for responding to the shortage of teachers, Oba Olanite urged both the Federal and state governments to sustain investment in education and extend development to healthcare, roads and other critical infrastructure.
He said greater attention to border communities was important not only for local development but also for national security and economic growth.
Also speaking, Professor Anthony Asiwaju urged governments at all levels to pay greater attention to communities along Nigeria’s international borders, particularly in education, infrastructure, security and economic development.
Asiwaju called on the Border Communities Development Agency, BCDA, to intensify its interventions in Imeko, saying residents were yet to sufficiently feel the impact of the agency established to promote development in border communities.
Speaking on the theme of the festival, “Preserving Our Heritage: Fostering Love, Unity and an Empowered Future,” he said Imeko’s historical role in frontier administration should be matched by increased government investment.
Meanwhile, a former member of the House of Representatives for Imeko-Afon/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 urged the National Assembly and Federal Government to support the proposed institution, saying it would promote education, research and capacity development in the border region.
“Education remains the foundation of sustainable development,” he said, stressing 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 event was designed to celebrate Imeko’s cultural heritage while providing a platform for stakeholders to discuss the community’s development needs.
Ajibode, represented by the committee’s Secretary, Dr Tunde Aninkan, urged the Federal and Ogun State governments to sustain interventions in education and expand investment in infrastructure, healthcare, security and economic opportunities.
He said developing Imeko would benefit not only its residents but also Nigeria’s wider security and economic interests because of its strategic location along the international frontier.
The event was attended by community leaders and prominent indigenes, including Chief Mary Ogunjobi, a former Commissioner for Women Affairs in Ogun State.
