-Demand Customs Training School, Better Infrastructure
– Abiodun praised for boosting schools with additional teachers
By Ifeoluwa Taiwo
The people of Imeko, a border community in Ogun State, have renewed calls on the Federal Government to establish a training institution for the Nigeria Customs Service in the town, citing its strategic location and historical role in Nigeria’s frontier administration.
The call was made yesterday by the Onimeko of Imeko, Oba Benjamin Alabi Olanite, at a press conference to herald the 2026 Imeko Agbinrekoti Festival.
The monarch said the establishment of a Customs or Immigration training school in Imeko would not only recognise the town’s historical importance but also strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to manage its international borders.
Oba Olanite said the community was prepared to provide land and other necessary support to facilitate the establishment of the Federal institution.
> “I think the government should consider establishing a training school for either the Customs Service or Immigration Service here.
> “Everything about the frontier in Nigeria started here. That is why we are pursuing a school and institution like the National Institute for Border Studies, which is there to assist Nigeria.”
The monarch also used the occasion to draw attention to the educational challenges confronting Imeko, recalling that the community was described as being “at the bottom of the ladder” in educational development during an education summit organised under the administration of former Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
He said the shortage of teachers had reached an alarming level, with some schools operating with only two teachers responsible for teaching several subjects while also performing administrative duties.
Oba Olanite, however, commended Governor Dapo Abiodun for responding to the community’s concerns by deploying additional teachers to schools in the area.
> “Thank God for the present administration. When we were complaining about teachers, some schools had only two teachers on their staff. The principal, vice-principal and teachers for virtually all the subjects were being handled by just two people.
> “It was when we began to speak out that, thank God, the Ogun State Government, under the leadership of Prince Dapo Abiodun, and the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, ensured that teachers were sent here,” he said.
The monarch nevertheless urged the Federal and state governments to go beyond the deployment of teachers by increasing investments in schools, healthcare, roads, security and other critical infrastructure.
He argued that the development of border communities should be treated as a national priority because of their implications for security, economic activity and territorial administration.
Also speaking, renowned scholar and border studies expert, Professor Anthony Asiwaju, called for increased government intervention in communities located along Nigeria’s international borders.
Asiwaju specifically urged the Border Communities Development Agency to scale up its interventions in Imeko, arguing that residents were yet to sufficiently feel the impact of the agency’s mandate.
He said the historical role of Imeko in Nigeria’s frontier administration warranted greater government investment in the town.
The former member of the House of Representatives for Imeko/Afon and Yewa North Federal Constituency, Dr Dele Ogunsiji, also threw his weight behind the proposed Federal College of Frontier and Border Studies in Imeko.
Ogunsiji commended Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola for sponsoring a bill seeking the establishment of the institution and appealed to the National Assembly and Federal Government to support the initiative.
He said the proposed college would provide an opportunity to strengthen education, research and human-capital development in Nigeria’s border region.
“Education remains the foundation of sustainable development,” Ogunsiji said, stressing that the developmental challenges facing Imeko could not be addressed without sustained investment in human capital.
The stakeholders spoke against the backdrop of the 2026 Imeko Agbinrekoti Festival, themed “Preserving Our Heritage: Fostering Love, Unity and an Empowered Future.”
Chairman of the Central Planning Committee, Otunba Anthony Adewale Ajibode, said the annual festival was not merely a cultural celebration but also a platform for mobilising government and other stakeholders towards the development of the border town.
Ajibode, represented by the Secretary of the committee, Dr Tunde Aninkan, said the festival would bring together residents, traditional institutions, community leaders and other stakeholders to celebrate Imeko’s heritage and deliberate on its future.
He called for sustained government intervention in education, infrastructure, healthcare, security and economic empowerment.
According to him, developing Imeko would have benefits beyond the immediate community, given its strategic position along Nigeria’s international frontier.
The press conference was attended by prominent indigenes and stakeholders, including Chief Mary Ogunjobi, a former Ogun State Commissioner for Women Affairs, among others.
