Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has urged Nigerians to deepen their involvement in community service, civic engagement, and skill-based volunteerism, describing such efforts as indispensable to tackling the country’s development challenges.
Speaking in Akure on Saturday during the 2025 International Volunteer Day commemoration themed “Every Contribution Matters”, the governor said volunteer-driven initiatives are central to President Bola Tinubu’s economic growth agenda and key to strengthening Nigeria’s social and economic systems.
Aiyedatiwa, represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Volunteer Service and State Coordinator of the Nigerian National Volunteer Service, Adeolu Iwakun, stressed that structured volunteerism bridges manpower gaps across critical sectors—including environmental management, community health, and emergency response.
“Volunteerism, in all its forms—community participation, humanitarian service, donations, corporate social responsibility, problem-solving initiatives, or simply offering one’s skills—remains a powerful pillar for sustainable and accelerated development. Every act of service counts,” he said.
The governor also unveiled the Ondo State Volunteer Service, a new platform designed to coordinate, recognise, and expand volunteer activities across the state.
He commended youth groups, civil society organisations, and local volunteers for their contributions through community health outreach, climate-action initiatives, agricultural extension support, and disaster-response interventions. He further urged governments and the private sector to strengthen volunteer efforts through grants, partnerships, and capacity-building programmes.
Speaking at the event, Ondo State’s Special Adviser on Environment, Tunji Rhema, highlighted the impact of community-led sanitation exercises such as drain clearing, tree planting, and public hygiene campaigns, describing volunteerism as “a vital engine for community transformation.”
Delivering the keynote address, Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, Lanre Issa-Onilu—represented by the agency’s South-West Zonal Director, Olufunke Salako—called for volunteerism to be formally integrated into national policy.
He noted that sustained civic engagement enhances public trust, accelerates development, and promotes peace, praising youth-led initiatives earlier in the year that focused on street cleaning, clearing blocked drains, and promoting hygiene education.
