NEWS UPDATE
Document has emerged showing that the Osun State Ministry of Youth Affairs received N25m for a training on information and communication technology (ICT training) that never held.
According to an internal memo sighted by InsightLinks, the sum was released by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning in October, 2025. The memo was dated 13th October, 2025 and its reference number is AIF.140/162.
The memo, titled “Release of Fund”, was directed to the then Permanent Secretary of the ministry and revealed that the sum was approved for “1,000 youth focused digital literacy and empowerment initiative across Osun State”.
The memo read, “I am directed to convey to you, approval for the release of funds to your Agency under Administrative code: 051300200100 and Economic code: 22021007 (Welfare Package) of your 2025 approved estimates as follows:
“Funds approved for 1,000 youth focused digital literacy and empowerment initiative programme across Osun.” The amount is N25,000,000:00.
How the programme started and ended
According to sources familiar with the development, the ministry commenced implementation of a project tagged “Techify Osun” in September, 2025.
An opening ceremony and train the trainers was held at Oroki Hub in Osogbo, where 20 volunteers were breifed on the project.
The Commissioner for Youth Affairs, Hon. Moshood Olagunju was represented by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Engagement, Segun Oyewale while the Special Assistant on Strategic Engagement, Babawale Popoola coordinated the programme.
The event was said to be the train-the-trainer and it had 20 participants who reportedly volunteered to participate ad trainers.
It was gathered that all participants are IT experts who were told that they would be leading the implementation at their respective local government areas.
“We were about 20 who were trained for about four days. All trainees were told that they would be leading project at the grassroots but after they training, all we saw that our pictures were being shared online by officials of the ministry,” a source said.
What we know about the project
Speaking with InsightLinks, the Founder of Oroki Hub, Lukman Adeoti said he was never informed of the release of the funds neither was he paid for the facility used and facilitation he did.
Adeoti said he was approached by a governor’s aide attached to the ministry who sought partnership with his company on the project, adding he was kept in the dark as the official continued to say there is no money released for the project.
Adeoti said, “I was never informed of the funds. I was told there was no money for the project that the government has released no funds. After we concluded the training for the trainers, the officer in charge refused to pick my calls again and he didn’t respond to my messages.
“The plan was to do it at local government levels. I was the one that brought all the trainers together and none of them was invited for any training at the local government level afterwards.
“We were never paid for the project as we believed what we were told that there is no money released,” a disappointed Adeoti said.
We were used, dumped – Trainees
Speaking in separate interviews with InsightLinks, three of the participants decried the inability to hold the project as planned.
Sharafadeen Najeemdeen, a volunteer from Ikiru, Ifelodun local government expressed disappointment over the programme.
“After the training, we were asked to go to our respective local governments to pick a school where the main training will be held. I’m from Ifelodun and we have concluded arrangements with the but they (ministry officials) just kept on posting us. Nothing was done.”
When asked how much paid, Najeemdeen said “we were paid 5,000 naira after some days. I got the alert and some others also got it.”
Another participant who simply identified himself as Bolaji also corroborated the statement by Najeemdeen. He added that they were asked to do some surveys across their respective local governments but they did not hear from the ministry officials again.
Bolaji said, “we were asked to go and conduct an assessment of schools that have functioning systems (computer sets). I went to like three schools in Ifelodun before I got one and since we sent our reports, nothing was heard from them (the ministry officials again.”
Bolaji explained his displeasure over the development, stating that he reported the issue to some individuals who are also appointees.
When asked if he was aware of the programme holding in another council, Bolaji said “it was not held anywhere. I followed them and I can see that it was only the pictures of the briefing held with us that were posted online. Nothing was held at all.”
Haleemah Shittu, a female participant from Ife also expressed disappointment over the way the programme was ended.
She said, “I volunteered to be trainer. We were not the trainee in actual sense. We were volunteers who were to train people across the state. But we didn’t hold the training.”
Ministry fails to respond to FOI
A Freedom of Information request sent to the Ministry of Youth Affairs since June 4, 2026 was not responded till time of filing this report.
The letter was sent to the Commissioner as the Ministry has no substantive Permanent Secretary since the retirement of Mrs Taiwo Oladunjoye who left the service in December, 2025.
When contacted via telephone, the Commissioner for Youth Affairs, Moshood Olagunju confirmed that his office received the request but he would only respond “when they ask me to respond”.
When asked who he was referring to, Olagunju said, “you know I was appointed here. I will have to get permission from those who put me here before I can respond. You know we are in political period and everyone is busy now. Then, I don’t want to cause any trouble for the government.”
However, the Commissioner admitted release of the funds, stating that “not all the money on the memo were cashed by the ministry.”
He said the details will be contained in the official response of the ministry to the FOI request.
In order to give the Commissioner time and to allow the campaign to end, this reporter held on till after the Osun State Governorship Election which was held on August 15, 2026.
Follow-up messages to the Commissioner’s Whatsapp line after the election asking for response to the FOI request were not responded.