In the often noisy arena of Nigerian politics, where promises frequently outpace performance, it is refreshing to encounter a representative who has quietly and methodically turned constituency service into a tangible legacy. Hon. Barr. Jesse Okey-Joe Onuakalusi, the Member representing Oshodi-Isolo Federal Constituency 2 in the 10th National Assembly, has earned the affectionate nickname “Mr. Projects” among his people — and the extensive list of his interventions shows why.
From the moment he assumed office, Hon. Onuakalusi, a lawyer and long-time community advocate, approached representation with the mindset of a results-oriented executor rather than a mere lawmaker.
His focus has been relentless: light up the streets, power the communities, fix the roads, build human capacity, and touch lives across health, education, empowerment, and sports. The record speaks volumes.
Lighting Up the Night: Solar Street Lights as Security and Progress
One of the most visible signatures of his tenure is the aggressive rollout of solar street lights.
Across Ago Okota, Jakande Estate, Ejigbo, Bucknor, Ilasamaja, Ajao Estate, Canal Estate, and several other communities, hundreds of solar-powered units now illuminate streets that were once dark corridors of fear.
Specific interventions include:
– 35 units on Dele Orishabiyi Street, Ago Okota
– 25 units on Segun Awolowo Street, Ejigbo
– 23 units on Chris Idowu Street, Ejigbo
– 20 units on Dr. Fredrick Fashuen Avenue
– Multiple installations at churches (SS Peter & Paul Catholic Church, St Paul Anglican Church, CKC Catholic Church), police posts, and bus stops
When you add the additional completed batches — another 35 units on Dele Orishabiyi, 20 on Century Street, and others at Cele Bus Stop and Okota Police Post — the total exceeds 300 solar street lights. Residents now speak of improved security, extended business hours, and a general sense of safety after dusk.
In a constituency where power supply remains erratic, these off-grid solutions represent practical, sustainable governance.
Powering Homes and Communities: Transformers and Electrification
Electricity remains a national headache, but Hon. Onuakalusi has tackled it head-on at the local level. He facilitated the donation of a 300KVA transformer to the Segun Awolowo Community in Ejigbo and a 500KVA transformer to the Ajoke Okusanya Community in Okota.
The upgrade of the Itire Transformation Station from 30MVA to 60MVA further demonstrates his engagement with broader electrification challenges.
Combined with the solar lighting blitz, these efforts have brought measurable relief to thousands of households and businesses.
Roads, Drainage, and Basic Infrastructure
Good governance is often measured by the quality of roads citizens drive on daily. “Mr. Projects” has not disappointed here either. His office attracted and monitored rehabilitation works on numerous streets, including:
– Falana Street, Kogberegbe Street, Akinbaiya Street, Ehingbeti Spur, Olu Ajulo/Okeho Street, Abimbola Street, Cowbell Road, Kamoru Adeyemi Street, Jimoh Faronbi Street, and Chivita Road in Ajao Estate.
Major artery projects include the Ejigbo-Isolo-Mushin Road (rehabilitation nearing commissioning) and repairs along Ago Palace Way through FERMA. Drainage assessments across Isolo, Okota, and Ejigbo, plus the rehabilitation of the Amusu Street Community Hall in Ilasamaja, show attention to both mobility and community assets.
Water Access: Solar Boreholes for Clean Water
Access to potable water is a basic necessity often taken for granted elsewhere. Hon. Onuakalusi delivered solar-powered boreholes to strategic locations:
– Taiwo Street (Ago), Padana Street (Isolo), Ansar-Udeen Street (Ejigbo), Oba Ejigbo Palace, Amusu Street (Ilasamaja), and Agbeke Street (Okota).
These interventions directly improve public health and reduce the daily struggle for water in densely populated neighbourhoods.
Investing in People: Human Capital Development and Empowerment
Infrastructure alone does not transform societies; people do. Recognising this, Hon. Onuakalusi made human capital development a cornerstone of his representation.
He sponsored 18 participants on various training programmes in China, covering fields such as Artificial Intelligence & Media Development, Cyber Security, and general capacity building.
Additional beneficiaries went to South Africa for specialised Nursing and Diabetic Care training.
Locally, the impact has been even broader:
– 2-day Entrepreneurship & Skills Acquisition Training for youths and women
– Empowerment of 120 households with sewing and grinding machines
– Training and startup capital for 100 households in domestic fishery
– Computer skills training with certificates and capital for 50 households
– N50,000 grants to 200 business men and women
These are not abstract numbers — they represent tailors, fish farmers, IT operators, and small-scale entrepreneurs who can now stand on their own feet.
Health, Education, Sports, and Social Support
In health, he organised multiple free medical outreaches in Okota and Ejigbo, free eye clinics in Ajah Estate and Ishagatedo/Ire-Akari Estate, bringing relief to thousands.
Education saw desks, books, and writing materials distributed to schools; 300 free JAMB forms issued; a 2-classroom block under construction at Gbeleyi Primary School; and a 6-classroom block at Okota Grammar School ready for commissioning. Children’s Day gifts reached about 15 schools.
Sports and talent development received attention through the Grassroots Sports Championship Cup and a Talent Hunt event with cash prizes.
Food palliatives, fertiliser distribution, and agricultural seminars further supported vulnerable households.
Legislative Muscle: Bills, Motions, and Petitions
While delivering at home, Hon. Onuakalusi has not been silent in Abuja.
He has sponsored over 31 bills (including a Star Bill), raised over 29 motions, and presented over 183 petitions — a clear demonstration that effective representation combines constituency deliverables with robust parliamentary engagement.
The Bigger Picture
Hon. Barr. Okey-Joe Onuakalusi has spread benefits across churches, mosques, wards, traditional rulers, security agencies, community groups, and youths. His approach is inclusive, practical, and people-centred.
Of course, no representative can solve every problem in a constituency as dynamic and challenged as Oshodi-Isolo Federal Constituency 2.
Infrastructure deficits, population pressure, and national economic realities remain. Yet, few can dispute that “Mr. Projects” has set a high bar for visible, measurable impact.
In an era when many politicians are judged by the volume of their noise, Hon. Onuakalusi is letting his projects do the talking.
For the people of Oshodi-Isolo II, that conversation has been largely positive — one solar light, one transformer, one borehole, one empowered youth at a time.
The question for the future is whether this momentum can be sustained and scaled. If the current record is anything to go by, Mr. Projects is not just passing through; he is building something that will endure beyond his tenure and, for that reason, he deserves to be voted back into office to guarantee the sustainability and further scaling of these achievements.
-Pamela O. political columnist and commentator.
