OLUSEYI MAKINDE

Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, born on December 25, 1967, is a Nigerian engineer, businessman, and politician who has served as the governor of Oyo State since 2019. Known for his expertise in fluid and gas metering, Makinde is the group managing director of Makon Group Limited, an indigenous oil and gas company. His political career is marked by resilience and dedication to public service.

Makinde was born to Pa Olatubosun Makinde, a teacher turned accountant, and Abigail Makinde of Aigbofa Compound in Oja’ba, Ibadan, Oyo State. He is the third child in his family. He began his education at St. Paul Primary School and completed it at St. Michael Primary School, Yemetu, Ibadan. His secondary education was at Bishop Phillips Academy, Monatan, Ibadan. In 1985, he was admitted to the University of Lagos, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering.

Makinde furthered his education with various training programs, including Safety Shutdown System at Industrial Control Services in Houston, Texas in 1998, and Development of Analytical Competence for Managing Operations at Lagos Business School in 1999. In 2002, he studied Fundamentals of Crude Sampling at Jiskoot Auto Control Training Centre in Kent, England, and in 2005, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for a program on Understanding and Solving Complex Business Problems.

Makinde began his professional career with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) of Nigeria, where he served as a pupil engineer. He then worked with Rebold International Limited from 1992 to 1997, eventually becoming the Field Manager. In 1997, he established Makon Engineering and Technical Services Limited (METS), leveraging his extensive experience with international oil and gas companies. He is now the group managing director of Makon Group of Companies.

Makinde is a member of several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Council for Regulations of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Oil and Gas Design Engineers of Nigeria (OGDEN), International Society of Automation (ISA), Institute of Measurement and Control UK, and American Measurement Institute (AMI).

His political journey began in 2007 when he contested for the Oyo South Senatorial seat under the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) but lost. Undeterred, he joined the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in 2010 and aimed for the Oyo South Senatorial seat again in 2011 but lost the primary. In 2014, he sought the PDP's gubernatorial ticket for Oyo State but, after being denied the nomination, he defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He contested in the 2015 governorship election but finished third.

In 2017, Makinde returned to the PDP, and in 2018, he emerged as the party's gubernatorial candidate for the 2019 elections. On March 9, 2019, he was elected governor of Oyo State, defeating his closest rival, Adebayo Adelabu of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He was sworn in as the 28th executive governor of Oyo State on May 29, 2019.

In April 2022, Makinde declared his intention to run for re-election, citing the significant achievements of his first term. He contested in the 2023 general election and was re-elected, defeating his closest rivals Teslim Folarin of the APC and Adebayo Adelabu of Accord.

Makinde has received several awards and recognitions, including the Nigerian Union of Journalists (Oyo State Council) Laudable Contribution to Humanity Merit Award, the National Association of Oke-Ogun Students Merit Award, and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria's "Astute Politician of the Year 2018." He resides in Ibadan, Oyo State, with his wife, Tamunominini Makinde, and their three children.

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