Some South-West leaders, yesterday, urged youths in the region to emulate the vision, courage, and commitment of the first Premier of the defunct Western Region, the late Obafemi Awolowo, and his successor, Ladoke Akintola, to make a meaningful impact and contribute to the region’s development.

They stressed that such determination would enable youths in the region to compete favourably at the global stage. Director-General of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, Seye Oyeleye; Group Managing Director of Odu’a Investment Company Limited, Abdulrahman Yinusa; and economic historian from the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, Prof. Adetunji Ogunyemi, among others, who spoke at a special edition of the Yoruba historical conversation, held to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Cocoa House in Ibadan, said the region must rediscover the governance and development model of Awolowo and his contemporaries, which produced landmark achievements, such as the Cocoa House.

The event, themed “Transforming Today’s Resources into Tomorrow’s Legacy, Cocoa House as a Beacon of Audacity,” was organised by DAWN Commission, in partnership with Odu’a Investment at Carlton Gate Xclusive Hotel, Ibadan.

It reflected on the bold vision that birthed the Cocoa House, once the tallest building in tropical Africa. Oyeleye, in his opening remark, described the Cocoa House as a product of the audacious thinking of the region’s past leaders, saying that the DAWN Commission is committed to sustaining that legacy to reshape the South-West’s development trajectory in the years ahead.

He, therefore, stressed the need to reawaken the spirit of bold, strategic thinking among youths, urging them to adopt the vision, discipline, and determination of Awolowo and Akintola if they wished to become catalysts for transformation.

Yinusa, in his remark, described the Cocoa House as the brainchild of the region’s forebears through their daring and visionary approach. He called on young people and other stakeholders to emulate the courage and foresight of the building’s founding fathers, while commending DAWN Commission for organising the programme and insisting that the people’s interest must always be prioritised.

Also, in his keynote lecture, Ogunyemi said the Cocoa House was the product of Awolowo’s meticulous planning and Akintola’s strategic execution. He praised Awolowo for placing the welfare of his people above politics and lauded Akintola for not abandoning his predecessor’s progressive vision.

The don charged the youths to emulate the transformational and daring leadership of the two late elder statesmen. Head of Programmes at DAWN Commission, Abiodun Oladipo, described the building as a testament to deep and visionary thinking, adding that it was imperative to build on that legacy.

In their goodwill messages, Prof. Olufunso Famuyiwa, Dr Muyiwa Bamgbose, Dr Shade Taiwo, Gbenga Adewusi, and others commended DAWN Commission for driving development in the region and for hosting the commemorative event.