DAWN Commission

Still uncertain about what DAWN Commission is about? Here are Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that will answer those uncertainties. For more details, reach out to us via our email: info@dawncommission.org

DAWN Commission Partners with Egbe Omo Yoruba North America to Channel Diaspora Investment into Ventures in Southwest The DAWN Commission has formalized a partnership with the Egbe Omo Yoruba North America (EOYNA) and its investment arm, Synergy, to establish a structured framework through which diaspora Yoruba can invest directly in the Southwest, spanning real estate, government bonds, and growth capital for local ventures. Read the full story here: dawncommission.org/dawn-commissio… @SeyeOyeleye @eoynorthamerica

Charles Akindiji Akinola @70: The Architect Turning Southwest Region’s Development Blueprints into Reality Before he became the pioneer CEO of the South-West Development Commission, he was one of the people helping to write the roadmap that made the Commission possible. For more than four decades, Dr. Charles Akindiji Akinola moved between university classrooms, rural communities, international development programmes, Harvard Kennedy School, state government, and the Presidency, helping shape policies that touched agriculture, infrastructure, community development, and economic growth across Nigeria. Today, at 70, he finds himself at the centre of one of the Southwest’s most ambitious development projects yet. How does a lecturer of agricultural extension become the pioneer head of a regional commission designed to transform six states? The answer spans forty years, three continents, and a career built on turning ideas into institutions. Read the full story here: bit.ly/akindiji @swdcgov @Ogidan_Akinola

Happy 70th birthday, Dr. Charles Diji Akintola. Managing Director of the Southwest Development Commission (SWDC). @swdcgov @Ogidan_Akinola

Ongoing! The Southwest Regional Roundtable on Strengthening Social Protection Coordination and Social Registry Systems is ongoing. Participate in the conversation using this link: us06web.zoom.us/j/88275098681?… @OGSG_Official @ekitistategov @OndoStateOnline @FeedbackOYSG @followlasg

It's Today. DAWN Commission is hosting stakeholders from across Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti today, for a regional conversation on strengthening social protection coordination and registry systems. Join the conversation. @FeedbackOYSG @OndoStateOnline @OGSG_Official @ekitistategov @Osun_State_Gov @followlasg

1 Day To Go! The Southwest Regional Roundtable on Strengthening Social Protection Coordination and Social Registry Systems holds tomorrow. Registration closes soon. Click here to register: bit.ly/socu26 @FeedbackOYSG @followlasg @OndoStateOnline @Osun_State_Gov @OGSG_Official @ekitistategov

The Ọlọ́wọ̀ of Ọ̀wọ̀, Ọba (Dr) Ajíbádé Gbádégẹeṣin Ògúnoyè III, turned 60 yesterday. A true custodian of Yoruba tradition. To Kábíyèsí and the good people of Ondo State, our gratitude runs deep. Igba ọdún, ọdún kan ni, Kábíyèsí! @olowoogunoyeiii

Social protection systems work best when states aren't working in silos. This Thursday, July 9, DAWN Commission convenes the Southwest Regional Roundtable on Strengthening Social Protection Coordination and Social Registry Systems — bringing together government institutions, development partners, technical agencies, and CSOs from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti. On the table: strengthening State Operations Coordinating Units (SOCUs), improving interoperability between social registries and national data systems, and closing implementation gaps at the subnational level. Register to participate virtually here: bit.ly/socu26 @oyostategovt @OndoStateOnline @followlasg @Osun_State_Gov @ekitistategov @OGSG_Official

Modupe Oladunni Omo-Eboh (1922–2002): Nigeria’s First Female High Court Judge, Before Anyone Thought It Possible In 1969, a woman walked into a courtroom in Benin City and took a seat that no Nigerian woman had ever occupied before. But the real story did not begin that day. It began years earlier in court registries, prosecution offices, and government departments where Modupe Omo-Eboh quietly built the expertise that made history inevitable. Before becoming Nigeria’s first female High Court judge, she had already spent sixteen years mastering the machinery of justice, long before anyone imagined a woman could sit on the bench. She was not handed a breakthrough. She earned it, one institution at a time. Descended from the lineage of Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther, Herbert Macaulay, and Oshodi Tapa, she carried a remarkable heritage. Yet her greatest legacy was one she built herself: opening doors that had never existed for Nigerian women in law. The road bearing her name in Ikoyi tells only a fraction of the story. Read the full article and discover the woman who changed Nigeria’s judiciary forever through here: bit.ly/oladunni @ACUOyo @UnilagNigeria @ThinkYoruba_1st

DAWN Commission celebrates Hon. Sunmi Lanre Odesanya, Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on DAWN Commission Matters, on his birthday. We appreciate his dedication to advancing the region's development agenda and wish him a fulfilling year ahead. @followlasg

Your next big move could start with one of these 14 opportunities. From student loans and digital skills training to startup grants and vocational bootcamps — spanning education, digital skills, entrepreneurship, healthcare, manufacturing, and the creative sector — there's something here to help you learn, earn, or scale up. Click the link to see the full list and how to apply: punchng.com/14-fg-funding-… @FeedbackOYSG @ekitistategov @OGSG_Official @Osun_State_Gov @followlasg @OndoStateOnline

Accessing Agricultural Loans Without Stress Are you looking to expand your farm but unsure how to access agricultural financing? Many farmers miss out on funding opportunities because they believe loan applications are too complicated or fear rejection. In this episode of Farm Clinic, we share 5 practical steps to help farmers prepare for agricultural loans and improve their chances of securing funding. Watch the full episode here: youtu.be/nEAnSalwSn0 and discover how to position your farm for financial success.

Happy 61st Birthday, His Excellency, Mr Babjide Olusola Sanwo-Olu. Executive Governor of Lagos State. @jidesanwoolu @followlasg

@DejiAcre Thank you so much. Kindly share with your networks. Let's build a safer region together.

Security is truly our collective duty. We must all be vigilant about all that's happening in our neighbourhood. When we notice anything strange, it is our collective responsibility to call the attention of the security personnel or our local leaders to it. Thank you, @DAWNCommission, for this message. 👍👌

@rainmekka Yes! That's the new slogan.

See something, say something

How many times have you seen something suspicious and kept walking? We see it. We feel it. And then we say — e no concern me. It concerns all of us! DAWN Commission is calling on every resident across the South West — on your way to the farm, in the market, on your street — if something doesn't feel right, say something. Tell your community leader. Tell somebody you trust. One conversation can stop a crime before it happens. Watch the full video on YouTube: youtu.be/qgrtvx1oFiI

Kola Oyewo (1946–2026): A Tribute to one of the Last Custodians of the Alarinjo Tradition Most people know Kola Oyewo as the unforgettable face of Yoruba theatre. What fewer people know is that after spending decades on stage, performing with legends like Duro Ladipo, Ola Rotimi, Wole Soyinka, and Femi Osofisan, he went back to university in his late forties. Not alone. With his son. That decision changed the course of his life. It led him from actor to scholar, from performer to professor, and eventually to becoming one of the most respected custodians of Yoruba theatre, language, and culture. When Professor Kola Oyewo passed away on June 12, 2026, Nigeria did not just lose an actor. It lost a man who proved that learning has no age limit, culture has no expiry date, and reinvention is always possible. Read the full story here: bit.ly/oyewo

Emeritus Professor Femi Osofisan (NNOM) at 80: The Playwright Who Turned the Stage Into a Weapon for Justice ㅤ When Babafemi Osofisan arrived at the Sorbonne in the 1970s, he wanted to study African drama. He was told it wasn't a serious subject. ㅤ Rather than change his topic, he walked away. ㅤ He returned to Nigeria, earned a PhD in African drama, and spent the next five decades becoming one of the continent's most celebrated playwrights, scholars, and cultural critics. ㅤ On June 16, Professor Femi Osofisan turns 80. ㅤ His story is a reminder that sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is refuse to let others decide what matters. ㅤ Read the full story here: bit.ly/osofisan ㅤ What would African literature look like today if he had accepted that first "no"? ㅤ @UniIbadan

@dj2plus_ Implementation on course to help young people in SW take advantage of global digital economy. People are supposed to feel the impacts of their state & local govts, not ours. Our job is to support govts to make SW the preferred place for people to live, visit, work & invest.

@DAWNCommission Implement yet ? How will these help our unemployed youths across Yorubaland n reduce owo mi di culture? Bring development n empowerment close to people. Our pple across Yorubaland grassroots haven’t seen a tiny infects of this commission n the poor are main your main voters

DAWN Commission and NITDA have formalised a five-year partnership to drive digital development across the Southwest. The MOU covers all six states — Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo — and gives the region structured access to federal digital programmes, from innovation hubs and startup support to the national initiative targeting 100 million digitally skilled Nigerians by 2030. Read the full story here: dawncommission.org/dawn-commissio… @NITDANigeria