Background
The Yewa, are a clan of the Yoruba people, who inhabit the eastern area of Ogun West Senatorial District, Ogun State, in southwest Nigeria, Africa.
In 1995, they changed their name from Egbado to “The Yewa”. Yewa officially comprises 4 local Governments Yewa South, Yewa North, Imeko-Afon and Ipokia; Yewa people are also indigenous in large parts of Ado-Odo Ota, Abeokuta North local government and across the Nigerian border in Benin Republic.
Given the complex challenges in our communities, YDF wants and is committed to creating a world where Yewa Peoples enjoy the benefits of being part of Ogun West, Ogun State, South West and Nigeria.
YDF through the Yewaland Development Acceleration Partnership (YDAP) Projects is committed to opening a world of opportunities to collectively deliver and fully realize human development, resiliency and sustainable development through Member investments, cooperation in a wide range of areas, including: culture and information, education, youth and sports, health, social welfare and development, women and gender, rights of the women and children, labor, civil service, rural development and poverty eradication, environment, transboundary dispute settlements, disaster management and humanitarian assistance.
The National Executive Committee of Yewaland Development Forum (YDF) have made a conscious choice to move away from the old tradition of chasing politicians and election cycles and refocus on developing deep rooted structures capable of attracting and mobilizing successful sons and daughters of Yewaland all over the country and in the diaspora with the ultimate goal of successfully competing with the ‘Egbas’, ‘Ijebus’ and ‘Remos’.
The primary objectives are to promote the geographically and culturally distinct nation now known as Yewaland; promoting YDF as the preeminent Non-Governmental & Non-Partisan Organization championing the socio-economic development of Yewaland; be a rallying platform for the large populations of Yewaland indigenes who live and work outside Yewaland, who currently feel little or no shared identity with their ancestral origins and be a fund raising platform for socio-economic development of both Yewaland and Ogun West Senatorial District.
Towards achieving the above cardinal objectives YDF adopted two policies –
First was an historic name change and rebranding from Yewa Union (Lagos) to ‘Yewaland Development Forum’. The name ‘Yewa Union (Lagos)’ was limited in scope both in terms of geography and the mission, whilst ‘Yewaland Development Forum’ has a global target and firmly focuses on Yewaland’ Development. To cement this new brand Yewaland Development Forum was incorporated as a non-profit tax-exempt company, which by law utilizes all revenue available after normal operating expenses in charitable service of public interest.
The second policy was a move away from previous funding structures that rely solely on donations from patrons and token dues paid by members to creating a long-term and sustainable revenue-generating and self-sustaining funding platform, underpinned by the belief that the ability to independently generate funds is critical to the vision for collective engagement and accelerated development of Yewaland.
Towards implementing these policies YDF constituted a standing YEWALAND DEVELOPMENT ACCELERATION PROJECT (“YDAP”) COMMITTEE.