For residents of Oto-Awori Local Council Development Area, the first anniversary of the administration of Chairman Hon. Kareem Azeez Abiodun was marked not merely with speeches and ceremonial activities, but with the commissioning of projects spread across roads, education, healthcare, security, environment and human empowerment.

At the centre of the anniversary was the commissioning of a 456-metre Kareem Road, Shibiri, and a new 12-classroom block at Community Nursery and Primary School, Ilemba-Awori — two projects offering contrasting but connected pictures of grassroots governance: making movement easier for communities and creating better spaces for children to learn.

The road, constructed with drainage infrastructure, was commissioned by the Lagos State APC Chairman, Hon. Cornelius Oyefolu Ojelabi, while the school project was commissioned by the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Hon. Jamiu Tolani Ali-Balogun.

For Abiodun, however, the anniversary was bigger than ribbons cut or projects commissioned. It was an opportunity to present his administration's scorecard and renew what he described as its covenant with the people.

Today, we commemorate one year in office of this administration in Oto-Awori LCDA. This gathering is not for celebration alone. It is to give account, to say thank you, and to renew our covenant that Oto-Awori LCDA will continue to rise

— Chairman Hon. Kareem Azeez Abiodun

When Roads Become Lifelines

The 456-metre Kareem Road provides a practical response to one of the everyday challenges facing residents — movement. With drainage infrastructure incorporated into the project, the road is expected to improve connectivity around Shibiri Bus Stop, ease traffic and provide better access for residents and businesses.

Roads connect people to opportunities. That is why we made roads our first priority,

— Chairman Hon. Kareem Azeez Abiodun

The chairman disclosed that three other road projects had also been commissioned, while portions of the road linking Badagry Expressway to Ashiribo Bus Stop were rehabilitated and patched. For communities where poor roads can determine how quickly people reach markets, schools, workplaces or healthcare facilities, the significance of such projects extends well beyond asphalt and drainage.

A Classroom Block and an Investment in Children

If the road represented movement, the new 12-classroom block at Community Nursery and Primary School, Ilemba-Awori, represented the administration's investment in the next generation. The facility comprises classrooms, offices, toilets and a store, providing additional space for pupils and teachers.

Education remains the foundation upon which the future of our society is built. Investing in our schools is, therefore, an investment in the future of Lagos State and our dear children

— Ali-Balogun, at the commissioning.

He urged the school community to take ownership of the facility and ensure its maintenance, disclosing that the state government provides N100,000 monthly for the school's upkeep, with the council chairman contributing an additional N40,000.

The Education Secretary of Ojo Local Government Education Authority, Hon. Kolawole Esrom Abiola, noted that about 60 per cent of public schools in Oto-Awori LCDA had been renovated under the administration, alongside the provision of furniture and monthly stipends for school managers.

For the school's headmistress, Dr. Oriade Modupeola Deborah, the project was evidence that a promise made at the local level could translate into something children and teachers could physically use. "Clearly, at the local level, governance is a continuous process. After one week, work commenced immediately, and exactly after one good year of great impact, we are here today," she said.

From Examination Forms to Empowerment

Beyond bricks and roads, the administration's first-year account also touched on opportunity. The council provided free JAMB forms to about 500 students and awarded GCE forms to students from top-performing schools. Winners of the council's spelling bee competition received N1 million, while the runner-up received N500,000.

Youth interventions included skills acquisition, sporting activities and leadership programmes — among them a 120-hour hairdressing marathon for a Guinness World Record attempt, boxing tournaments, football competitions and a youth governance symposium at the University of Lagos. The Ijanikin Skill Acquisition and ICT Centre was renovated and equipped with desktop computers for digital learning.

For women, the council provided N5 million cooperative support through its Women Development Initiative and cash grants to 100 women. Another 100 widows and aged persons received N50,000 each, alongside food palliatives and the distribution of deep freezers, grinding machines, barbing kits, generators, sewing machines and other equipment.

Health, Water and the Dignity of Everyday Life

Healthcare was another component of the administration's first-year interventions. The council organised a free medical mission, maintained ambulances and installed solar power at Ijanikin Primary Health Care Centre to support round-the-clock services. Residents also benefited from eye screening and the distribution of medicated glasses.

In a riverine community where residents had experienced prolonged water scarcity, the council commissioned an industrial-grade solar-powered water system — demonstrating how seemingly basic amenities can become significant interventions in underserved communities.

Security also featured prominently in the scorecard. Operational vehicles were presented to Ijanikin Division, Ilemba Hausa Division and the Tactical Squad, while joint patrols and stakeholder security meetings were sustained. Solar power was also installed at Ijanikin Police Station to support night operations.

Receiving a vehicle on behalf of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Area K Commander ACP Adeleke Smith said: "Security is everybody's business and what the Chairman has done today by donating this operational vehicle to the Police will go a long way in boosting our patrol and rapid response."

Vehicles were also presented to the Local Security Joint Task Force and Community Development Committee to strengthen grassroots coordination.

Cleaning Up the Environment

The administration's intervention extended to the environment, with the evacuation of refuse heaps from Iyanera, Shibiri, Ketu, Alasia and other identified flashpoints. Green-edge bins were distributed across 11 communities to discourage indiscriminate waste disposal and reduce flooding, and an operational vehicle was provided for the Environmental Task Force.

Perhaps one of the more direct grassroots components of the anniversary was the N10 million support given to 10 Community Development Associations, each receiving N1 million to support micro-development projects. Beneficiary CDAs included Teju Royal Garden Estate, New Mebamu Extension, Rose Garden Phase 2, God's Glory Estate and six others across the council area.

A Scorecard Meets Scrutiny

Amid commendations, Ojelabi introduced an accountability dimension to the anniversary, announcing that the projects listed in the chairman's scorecard would be subjected to independent verification.

Very soon, we will set up an assessment committee made up of credible leaders of our party to ascertain the correctness and authenticity of the projects you said you have executed in the last one year

— Chairman Hon. Kareem Azeez Abiodun

His remarks introduced an important element into the anniversary narrative: that public projects should not only be announced and commissioned, but subjected to scrutiny and preserved by the communities they are meant to serve.

Commissioner for Tertiary Education Hon. Sule Tolani described the administration's approach as one that combined infrastructure with human empowerment. "Hon. KAA has raised the bar of leadership at the local government level," he said.

For Abiodun, the projects and interventions are part of an ongoing development agenda rather than a conclusion to his first year. "From roads to classrooms, from light to livelihood, from security to dignity, this is not just government. It is service with sincerity," he said.