History has a notorious habit in Nigeria of being unkind to its builders. We have seen governments abandon projects started by their predecessors, rename streets to score political points, and attempt to rewrite the story of a state as if development started on the day they were sworn in. This culture of political revisionism has cost Ondo State and indeed the entire nation so much in wasted resources, disunity and lack of continuity.
It is against this ugly background that the news that filtered out of Abuja on Saturday, October 17, 2026, must be properly situated and deeply appreciated.
At an Evening of Celebration and Conversation organized by young professionals in Abuja to honour former Governor Dr. Olusegun Mimiko on his 72nd birthday, the incumbent Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, announced that the International Centre for Culture and Events, popularly known as The Dome in Akure, has been renamed after Dr. Mimiko.
According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, the facility will henceforth be officially known as the Dr. Olusegun Mimiko International Centre for Culture and Events.
This single act of honour deserves more than a news paragraph. It deserves a full editorial justification.
THE JUSTIFICATION
1.HE BUILT IT, HE OWNS THE LEGACY
The first and most elementary principle of justice is that you give honour to whom it is due. The Dome was not inherited by Mimiko. It was not built by the Federal Government. It was conceived, funded and completed by the Mimiko administration between 2009 and 2017 as part of his urban renewal programme to give Akure a befitting world-class events and cultural centre. To call it just “The Dome” without the name of the builder was to leave its history anonymous. Renaming it corrects that historical anomaly.
- A MONUMENT TO AN ERA OF TRANSFORMATIVE GOVERNANCE
The Dome cannot be viewed in isolation. When Dr. Mimiko built The Dome, he was also building the first Mother and Child Hospital in Akure and Ondo, building the Abiye Safe Motherhood model that the World Bank and World Health Organization came to Ondo to study, building free shuttle buses that kept our children in school, building mega primary schools, building the first University of Medical Sciences in West Africa. The Dome, therefore, is a symbol of an era. Naming it after him preserves the memory of that golden era of people-oriented governance in Ondo State. - A LESSON IN POLITICAL MATURITY AND CONTINUITY
Perhaps the greatest justification is political. Governor Aiyedatiwa is of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Dr. Mimiko was of the Labour Party. For years, we have witnessed a politics of bitterness where APC demolishes PDP projects and vice versa. Governor Aiyedatiwa has broken that jinx. He has demonstrated that government is a continuum and that good governance has no party colour. As the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo rightly said at the event, “People Mimiko built are his greatest legacy.” By honouring Mimiko, Aiyedatiwa is telling every Ondo citizen that if you serve well, your state will remember you. - AN INSPIRATION TO YOUNG PEOPLE
The renaming was announced at an event organized by young professionals who testified to Mimiko’s moral, intellectual and material mentorship. This is powerful. When young people see that a leader who prioritized hard work, personal development and capacity building is honoured even almost a decade after leaving office, they are inspired to serve with integrity.
In conclusion, this renaming is more than just changing a signboard on Igbatoro Road, Akure. It is a statement of values.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has written his own name into the book of honour. He has shown himself as a leader secure in his own achievements, who does not need to pull down another man to stand tall. He has chosen reconciliation over rivalry, history over hypocrisy, and gratitude over grandstanding.
For Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, the Iroko himself, at 72, this is a befitting birthday gift from the state he served with all his strength. It assures him that the seeds he planted still grow.
For Ondo State, this singular act sets a new precedent. Let every public structure that stands tell us who built it. Let us begin to build a Hall of Fame where heroes are not only celebrated in Abuja but honoured at home.
I wholeheartedly commend Governor Aiyedatiwa for this noble decision. It is just. It is deserved. And it will stand the test of time.
Long live Ondo State.
Ibikunle Ikuyinminu is a Public Affairs analyst and writes from Egbeda, Lagos State.
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