By Barrister Wale Ojo-Lanre
You may not know Dr Charles Akindiji Akinola.
I know him.
And I believe you should know him too.
My first encounter with this remarkable gentleman was many years ago in Osogbo, when he served in the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in Osun State.
What began as a formal meeting soon developed into an extensive and intellectually stimulating engagement on tourism, the creative economy and sustainable development.
It was not an ordinary conversation. It was a meeting of ideas, possibilities and shared convictions about how culture, tourism, agriculture and creativity could be transformed into powerful instruments of economic growth, employment generation and sustainable development.
From that encounter, I discovered in Dr Akinola a man of uncommon intellectual depth—a development thinker who listens attentively, interrogates ideas intelligently and regards public service as a platform for creating enduring value.
Since then, we have maintained a quiet but meaningful relationship, periodically engaging each other on sustainable development, tourism, creativity and regional economic transformation.
Today, our paths crossed again at the BAO–MCA Mega Rally held at the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion, Ado-Ekiti.
Dressed in BAO’ colourful campaign attire and relating freely with the people, he appeared calm, humble and unassuming. Yet, standing before me was one of the South-West’s most experienced development strategists and public administrators.
During our engagement, he said something that struck me deeply:
“You know, Wale, the doors of my ears are open—open to ideas and collaboration.”
That statement captured the essence of the man.
It revealed a leader who does not pretend to possess all knowledge; a public servant who understands that meaningful development is built through consultation, partnerships, fresh ideas and collective intelligence.
Dr Charles Akindiji “Diji” Akinola is the pioneer Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the South-West Development Commission.
He is an agriculturist, scholar, sustainable-development specialist, public-policy strategist, administrator and institution builder whose professional journey cuts across academia, international development, private enterprise and public service.
He earned a degree in Agriculture from the then University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, and a doctorate in Agricultural Extension from the University of Ibadan. He also became a Mason Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and a Fellow of Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.
His career has taken him through universities, international development institutions, agricultural transformation programmes and high-level public service. He taught at the University of Ibadan, served at the Pan-African Institute for Development in Cameroon and became Country Director of TechnoServe.
He has worked extensively on sustainable agriculture, rural enterprise, cocoa and cashew development, private-sector partnerships and the economic empowerment of smallholder farmers.
In Osun State, he served in several strategic capacities, including as Director-General of the Office of Economic Development and Partnerships and later as Chief of Staff to Governor Adegboyega Oyetola. His work placed him at the centre of economic planning, agricultural development, investment promotion and institutional partnerships.
Today, he carries an even greater responsibility as the pioneer Managing Director of the South-West Development Commission—an institution expected to advance regional infrastructure, industrialisation, agriculture, human-capital development, innovation, job creation and economic integration across Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo states.
But beyond his impressive credentials, what continually fascinates me about Dr Akinola is his cosmopolitan disposition.
He is intellectually grounded but socially accessible.
He is widely travelled but deeply connected to the realities of ordinary people.
He possesses global exposure without losing his local understanding.
He can engage farmers, academics, investors, political leaders, development partners, creative practitioners and traditional institutions with equal confidence, knowledge and respect.
That is the hallmark of a truly cosmopolitan fellow—not merely one who has travelled around the world, but one whose mind remains open to cultures, disciplines, people, ideas and possibilities.
Our meeting today reminded me that the future of the South-West will not be secured by government alone. It will require the collaboration of development thinkers, tourism professionals, creative entrepreneurs, traditional institutions, investors, communities and young innovators.
Dr Akinola’s declaration that the doors of his ears are open to ideas and collaboration is, therefore, not a casual statement. It is an invitation to progressive minds across the region to bring forward practical, sustainable and transformative ideas.
The South-West Development Commission must become a bridge connecting the six states—not merely geographically, but economically, culturally and intellectually.
Tourism must connect with agriculture.
Culture must connect with technology.
The creative economy must connect with youth employment.
Infrastructure must connect with investment.
And development must ultimately connect with the everyday needs and aspirations of the people.
Dr Charles Akindiji Akinola understands these connections.
My first encounter with him in Osogbo revealed the depth of his intellect.
Our subsequent engagements demonstrated his commitment to sustainable development.
And today’s meeting at the BAO–MCA Mega Rally reaffirmed his humility, openness and readiness for collaboration.
So, when next you hear the name Dr Charles Akindiji Akinola, do not ask, “Who is he?”
Remember the cosmopolitan development strategist whose ears are open to ideas, whose mind is open to collaboration and whose present assignment carries enormous possibilities for the advancement of the entire South-West.
You may not have known him before.
I know him.
And now, you should know him too.
With Dr Charles Akindiji Akinola firmly in the saddle, the South-West Development Commission will undoubtedly be better for it. His depth of knowledge, cosmopolitan outlook, wealth of experience and uncommon openness to ideas provide the Commission with the purposeful leadership required to translate regional aspirations into concrete development.
With his ears open to collaboration and his mind focused on sustainable progress, the South-West can confidently look forward to a Commission that will connect ideas with action, institutions with opportunities, and the enormous potential of the region with the shared prosperity of its people.
Barrister Wale Ojo-Lanre
Director-General
Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development