Why We Formed IWA Group

The Motivation for the founding of Ibadan Welfare Advancement (IWA) Group arose from

the following facts and developments:-

  1. Long before the advent of Awolowo Government in 1951, Ibadan had been the Economic and Academic Centre of Nigeria and indeed Africa; Paterson Zockonis (PZ) opened office in Ibadan in 1902, Bank of British West Africa (now First Bank) in 1908, United African Company (UAC) in 1920, Adeoyo General Hospital in 1927, Mapo Hall in 1929, Nigerian College of Forestry in 1939, University College Ibadan (Now University of Ibadan) in 1948 just to mention a few.
  1. It is however, no longer a rumour that over 200 Business outfits that sprang up on Ibadanland between 1901 and 1991 have become moribund, relocated or sold off between 1992 and 2024.
  1. Creation of Ibadan State was easier during the Military Era but we were complacent.
  1. It took 33 Years for Ibadanland to have a Befitting Olubadan Palace still courtesy of Governors Kolapo Isola, Rasidi Ladoja, Abiola Ajimobi and Seyi Makinde. The last two in their personal capacities.
  1. Whereas in some other climes, the Indigenes have had to contribute Money to have Secondary Schools, Tarred Roads, Town Halls, etc. but here in Ibadan we have 70-year olds of Ibadan Origin with no record of giving back ordinary N5.0 to a City that has been so benevolent to all of us.
  1. For an Ibadan man to be the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, it took 74 years.
  1. An Ibadan man only became the Provost of the Federal College of Forestry in 2024, 85 years after its founding on our soil.
  1. The Threat to Ibadan Land and Economy from outside is still unrelenting.
  1. The Good Intentions and Trusting Nature of our Political Class in a particular South West State in the 2nd Republic on Land is a source of Melancholy to the entire Yoruba Race today.
  1. Anyways, while we, Ibadans, continue to cry over “spill milk”, the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway, from Berger to Sagamu, is busy attracting new companies both left and right.
  1. If we, the current generation of Ibadan Indigenes, do not show interest in who occupies our Land and who drives our Economy we may lose our Politics, Land and Economy to non-indigenes in no-distant future.
  1. By the way, Ibadan is replenish with History of Courage and Valor - Ibadan under Balogun Oderinlo saved the rest of Yorubaland from being under another Ethnic Group in Nigeria in 1840. Chief Adisa Akinloye and his group also saved the entire Western Region from being under the Premiership of a non-Yoruba person in 1954. The rest of Yorubaland still looks up to Ibadan for Leadership and Protection.

We in IWA Group arrived at the conclusion that it requires more than Age, Position, Level of Wealth and the Spirit of ordinary Man to love ones Village, Town or Country. The Dependency and Entitlement Mindset is so pervasive here that feeding on Traditional Crisis and Pulling down fellow Kinsmen before the Authorities has become the sole occupation of some of our people.

It is this background that serves as the Motivation for the founding of Ibadan Welfare Advancement Group (IWA Group) on Wednesday 1st January 2025

We are gathered here today, therefore for the public presentation of the 1st Ethno-Economic Group on Ibadanland. We have clearly set out our Critical Paths:-

  1. We are not a Socio-Cultural Club, we are an Ethno-Economic Group.
  2. Our Mission is clear– “To Protect Ibadan Land and Promote her Economy”.
  3. Our Vision is unambiguous – Ibadan acquires an Economic City-State Status in Nigeria latest by Year 2040.
  4. Our Daily Creedis Spiritual - “Do one good thing at least ‘for Ibadan Sake’ each month, anywhere you are”.

IWA Group is the new face on Ibadanland Economy established to deploy New Ideas and Strategies to Attract, Establish, Manage and Preserve Business Ventures and Institutions on Ibadanland for the sake of Wealth Creation, Job Creation, Wealth Preservation and Community Welfare Advancement.

The difference between us and Socio-Cultural Clubs is that all Subscriptions paid by each Member will later be returned to him/her with impressive profit Dead or Alive. The Subscription while it lasts, is strictly for further Economic Development of Ibadanland. By extension therefore, there is no regular Meeting of Members, no Meeting Roaster, No “Club House for Enjoyment” but Regular Economic Conferences and Lectures, Secretariat with Business Meeting Rooms and Business Outfits as our distinguish Identities.

We have identified Fifteen (15) Projects ranging from Public Enlightenment of Ibadan Indigenes to creation of a Dignifying Trade Identity as Ibadanland for our pursuits in the years ahead.

With almost Sixty (60) notable Ibadan Indigenes resident in five (5) Countries and Four (4) Continents of the World as the Founders and take-off Members, 75% of whom have already paid their 2025 Annual Subscription and with the mandate to deploy same within this month of take-off towards a Project to create a Dignifying Trade Identity for Ibadanland, one can confidently say that – "On this Date, in this Hall and at this Defining Moment, Change has come to Ibadanland".

To you my fellow Travelers on this Journey to Oke-Langbodo, please remember the saying that “If You will be Afraid, don’t do it and If You will do it, don’t be Afraid”. People will talk, they will malign some of your Members but remember that "A man Without Enemies is a Man without Qualities”

IWA Group has come up as the ECONOMIC CLASS of Ibadanland to galvanize, collaborate and partner with the Political Class, the Religious Class, the Traditional Class, the Military Class and the Socio-Cultural Class and the International Communities for an all IBADAN ECONOMIC-RENAISSANCE AGENDA so that Ibadan can emerge as an Economic City-State in Nigeria latest by the year 2040, with or without the Creation of Ibadan State and definitely without the Indigenes of Ibadanland being sidelined in the process.

So Help us God

Chief Adeyemi Soladoye

Visioner and Coordinator General

Ibadan Welfare Advancement Group (IWA GROUP)