Seyi Makinde facts for kids

Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde (; born on December 25, 1967) is a Nigerian engineer, businessman, and politician. He has been the governor of Oyo State since 2019.

He is an expert in how liquids and gases are measured. He leads Makon Group Limited, a Nigerian oil and gas company. He started his first oil and gas business, Makon Engineering and Technical Services (METS), in 1997 when he was 29. Before that, he gained experience working with international oil and gas companies.

Makinde ran for governor of Oyo State in 2015 with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) but did not win that election.

Early Life and Education

Makinde was born in Ibadan, Oyo State. His father, Pa Olatubosun Makinde, was a teacher who became an accountant. His mother was Abigail Makinde. He is the third child in his family.

He started school at St Paul Primary School and finished at St Michael Primary School, Yemetu, Ibadan. He went to Bishop Phillips Academy, Monatan, Ibadan, for his secondary education. In 1985, he was accepted into the University of Lagos (Unilag). There, he earned his bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering.

After university, Makinde continued to learn and train. In 1998, he trained in Safety Shutdown Systems in Houston, Texas. In 1999, he studied how to manage operations at Lagos Business School. He also had training in automation in 2000. In 2002, he learned about crude oil sampling in Kent, England. Later, in 2005, he studied how to understand and solve difficult business problems at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA.

Professional Career

Makinde completed his national service (NYSC) at Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in Nigeria. He later worked there as a pupil engineer. From 1990 to 1992, he worked on several important projects.

From 1992 to 1997, he was a field engineer for Rebold International Limited in Eket. In 1995, he became a Field Manager at the same company.

In 1997, Makinde started his own company, Makon Engineering and Technical Services Limited (METS). This was after working for five years with different international oil and gas companies. Today, he is the managing director of the Makon Group of Companies.

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

Political Journey

Seyi Makinde first ran for a political office in 2007. He wanted to be a Senator for Oyo South under the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). However, he lost to the candidate from the People's Democratic Party.

Even though he lost, Makinde did not give up. In 2010, he tried again for the Oyo South Senatorial seat with the People's Democratic Party (PDP). He lost the primary election, which is an election within the party to choose a candidate.

In 2014, Makinde aimed to become the governor of Oyo State in the 2015 elections. He sought the ticket from the People's Democratic Party (PDP). But in December 2014, he was not chosen as the party's candidate. Makinde still wanted to be governor, so he joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He ran for governor under the SDP in 2015 and finished in third place.

In September 2017, Makinde returned to the People's Democratic Party (PDP). He said he rejoined the party not for himself, but to help solve the problems in Oyo State.

On September 29, 2018, Makinde became the PDP's candidate for governor in the 2019 elections for Oyo State. He won the primary election with 2772 votes.

On March 9, 2019, Makinde won the governorship election. He received 515,621 votes, beating Adebayo Adelabu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who got 357,982 votes. Makinde was officially elected as the Governor of Oyo State.

On May 29, 2019, Makinde was sworn in as the 28th executive Governor of Oyo State. He took over from Senator Abiola Ajimobi.

On April 7, 2022, Makinde announced that he wanted to run for governor again. He said that if the people of Oyo State wanted him to, he would serve for four more years.

Makinde ran for reelection in the 2023 general election on March 18. He won the election, getting the most votes. He defeated his main rivals, Teslim Folarin of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Adebayo Adelabu of Accord.

On March 19, 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared him the winner and governor-elect for Oyo State. He met all the legal requirements to be governor.

Awards and Recognitions

Makinde has received several awards for his work and contributions:

• Nigerian Union of Journalists (Oyo State Council) - Award for his helpful contributions to humanity.
• National Association of Oke-Ogun Students (Ibadan) - Merit Award.
• Fiditi Grammar School (Oyo State) - Award for his dedication and service to the school's old student association and to people in general.
• Junior Chamber International (JCI) University of Calabar Chapter - Award for excellence in business.
• Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (Oyo State Chapter) - Gold Merit Award for his great help in developing sports.
• Nigerian Association of Social Workers Merit Awards (Oyo State Chapter) - Award for his generous actions and help with social care services.
• CCII National Merit Award.
• Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (Ibadan) - Named "Astute Politician of the Year 2018" for his strong efforts in helping those in need.

Personal Life

Makinde lives in Ibadan, Oyo State. He is married to Tamunominini Makinde, who is from Southern Nigeria. They have three children together.

See also

• List of governors of Oyo State