Ijesaland to celebrate AOF at 70 with launch of Ijesa development fund

The Gold City Event Centre, Ilesa, will on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, host a landmark celebration as Ijesaland honours one of its foremost leaders, Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi (AOF), on the occasion of his 70th birthday.

More than a birthday milestone, the event will usher in a transformative vision for the future of Ijesaland with the official launch of the Ijesa Development Fund (IDF), endorsed by His Imperial Majesty, Owa Obokun Adimula and Paramount Ruler of Ijesaland, Owa Clement Adesuyi Haastrup, Ajimoko III.

The day’s proceedings will commence at exactly 10:00 a.m. with a symposium themed “IDF Project Operations and Management.” Asiwaju Fasuyi, stepping beyond his role as celebrant, will deliver the keynote lecture, presenting the operational blueprint of the IDF.

His address is expected to outline frameworks for transparency, accountability, and sustainable community-driven impact—positioning the IDF not just as a fund, but as an enduring model for grassroots development.

One of the high points of the event will be the presentation of ICDA-IDF cheques to ward executives across the six Local Government Areas of Ijesaland. This inaugural disbursement moves the IDF from vision to action, establishing a practical funding pathway for initiatives in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and economic empowerment.

With the royal blessing of Owa Haastrup and the presence of distinguished community leaders, the launch is being hailed as a binding social contract between Ijesa sons and daughters and their collective future.

Sir Folu Olamiti, Chairman of the Planning Committee on Media and Publicity, described the event as “a convergence of honour, vision, and action—where ideas meet implementation and leadership meets legacy.”

The celebrations, already in their fifth day, will culminate in a colourful social evening featuring live music from the Ijesa Juju Music Queen, Sola Testimony Band.

For many observers, AOF @70 will be remembered not only for its glamour but for institutionalising a new model of community-led progress.

With the fusion of royalty, intellect, and collective aspiration, the Ijesa Development Fund represents a generational turning point. Tuesday’s gathering will thus be recorded not just as a birthday party, but as history in motion.