The Oyo South senatorial candidate of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM), Hon. Adedeji Dhikrullahi Olajide Odidiomo, has said his next major focus in the drive to expand digital opportunities across the senatorial district is to bridge the digital divide in the Ibarapa zone.
Odidiomo stated this on Thursday while featuring as a guest speaker at an Independence Day X Space discussion, formerly known as Twitter, organized around the theme, “Where Are the real Opportunities for Young People in Oyo State?”
The interactive session, which attracted over 200 youths in attendance, provided an opportunity for the federal lawmaker to outline aspects of his proposed Oyo South development agenda, particularly his plans for youth participation in the digital economy and the need to expand access to technology beyond the urban centres of Ibadan.
According to Hon. Olajide Odidiomo, efforts aimed at closing the digital gap in the Ibadan zone had already recorded significant progress, with what he described as more than 60 per cent of the gap covered, while Ibarapa would constitute the next major area of intervention. He said the objective was not merely to provide computers or digital facilities, but to create an ecosystem in which young people in Ibarapa could access digital education, acquire tech skills and participate in emerging employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
Hon. Adedeji Olajide Odidiomo, however, identified electricity supply as a major condition for achieving the digital inclusion objective, saying that the technology gap could not be effectively closed in communities where young people and businesses lacked reliable power. “One of the issues I have on my agenda is to tackle the issue of power supply to Ibarapaland. Without stable electricity, we can’t achieve the goal,” he said. He disclosed that he would seek collaboration with the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) and the Oyo State Independent Power Project to improve electricity access in the zone and create the energy foundation required for digital development.
The lawmaker said improving electricity supply would be critical to bringing Ibarapa closer to other parts of Oyo South in terms of access to technology and economic opportunities. He explained that digital inclusion should translate into practical opportunities for young people, including digital skills acquisition, remote work, tech enabled entrepreneurship and access to the wider digital economy.
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