Former Ogun State Governor and current Senator representing Ogun East, Otunba Engr. Gbenga Daniel has promised to breathe new life into the Gateway Industrial Petro-Gas Institute, GIPI, a once-promising training centre that has been left to decay for years.
Senator Daniel made this commitment during a recent visit to Oni in the Ogun Waterside area of his senatorial district, where he was warmly received by the institute’s Rector, Lamidi Alebiosun, and other members of the leadership team.
The Gateway Industrial Petro-Gas Institute was Senator Daniel’s brainchild, established in 2007 during his time as governor. The institute was created with a clear purpose: to train young people from Ogun State in oil and gas skills so they could secure jobs when industrialist Aliko Dangote’s planned refinery was built in the state.
At the time, the Gbenga Daniel-led Ogun State government was in serious talks with Dangote about bringing his massive refinery project to the state. The institute was meant to ensure that local youth would be ready and qualified to work there.
However, things did not go as planned. After Daniel left office, his successors mishandled the negotiations with Dangote, and the refinery deal was eventually lost to neighbouring Lagos State. Since then, the institute has been abandoned by the state government and has struggled to survive.
During his visit, Rector Alebiosun painted a sobering picture, telling the senator that “his baby was still crawling after many years.” He presented a list of the institute’s needs and challenges.
Senator Daniel acknowledged the difficulties but expressed his gratitude to the leadership for keeping the vision alive despite the odds. He noted with pride that the institute has produced graduates who have excelled in their careers, with some even working abroad.
While admitting he no longer holds executive power as governor, Daniel vowed to use his influence as a senator to push for the institute’s transformation. His goal is ambitious: to have GIPI adopted and upgraded into a full-fledged polytechnic, rather than remaining a single-program institution focused only on oil and gas training.
If successful, Senator Daniel’s intervention could transform GIPI from a struggling, narrow-focus institute into a broader institution offering multiple programs and opportunities for young people in Ogun State. This would not only honour the original vision but expand it to benefit more students and communities.
For now, the people of Ogun Waterside and the institute’s leadership are hopeful that the senator’s promise will translate into real action and much-needed support for an institution that has waited too long for a second chance.
Seunmanuel Faleye is a brand and communications strategist. He is a covert writer and an overt creative head. He publishes Apple’s Bite International Magazine.
