In a bid to address the pressing economic challenges in the country, Ogun State Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser to the Governor, Mr. Dapo Okubadejo, has beckoned on stakeholders at all levels to collectively drive the much desired paradigm change for the country towards sustainable economic growth and prosperity.

Mr. Okubadejo made the call during the 2024 KPMG Alumni Re-ignite event themed, "Reviving the Economy: Be A Change Agent", at Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, noting that the global challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental crises, geopolitical tensions and technological disruptions were obstacles to socio-economic development that must be addressed.

He emphasised the pivotal role of individuals and business organisations as change agents, since government alone cannot revive the economy, pointing out that, "We have the power to influence and shape the direction of our economies. We must therefore leverage our collective knowledge, skills, and resources to drive positive change and create opportunities for growth and development".

Okubadejo underscored the importance of empowering youths and boosting the real sector through initiatives in agriculture, entrepreneurship and technology, which according to him, aligns with the state's economic agenda on real sector growth, investment attraction, poverty reduction, job creation, and food security.

Giving insights to the state's successful initiatives, the Commissioner outlined advancements in multi-modal transportation, infrastructure development, industrialisation and digital economy, as initiatives which had propelled the state, reiterating the present administration’s commitment to the economic vision of building a prosperous future through strategic planning, stakeholder engagement and relentless execution of developmental initiatives.

Remarking, a Senior Partner at KPMG, Mr. Tola Adeyemi, who explained that the event provided a social opportunity for former members and current employees of the firm to interact with one another, informed that the organisation was committed to building individuals and businesses, in order to influence change and make a difference in the development of the nation, urging the alumni to make the firm proud in business, government and whatever walk of life they venture into.