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Ondo State won’t depend on federal allocation for survival, says Akeredolu

By Seun Akingboye, Akure
06 October 2017   |   4:13 am
Ondo State governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), yesterday said his major priority in office was to make Ondo the number one destination of investors in Nigeria by the year 2020.

Ondo State Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu

To access N7.6 billion for education

Ondo State governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), yesterday said his major priority in office was to make Ondo the number one destination of investors in Nigeria by the year 2020.

He said this while inaugurating the Ondo Development and Investment Promotion Agency (ONDIPA) in Akure, adding that the state has no reason to rely on federal allocations from Abuja before meeting its commitments if the huge deposits of minerals and agricultural resources in the state are well explored.

The governor said Nigeria spends N300b yearly on importation of bitumen in spite of the fact that Ondo has the largest deposits of bitumen in the country, which could reduce pressure on the Naira and boost the nation’s foreign exchange, if well harnessed.

Akeredolu, who spoke on several investment opportunities in the state said he established ONDIPA to ensure that corporate organisations and businessmen who are interested in doing business in Ondo do their transactions without hitches.

He said his administration has dedicated 150,000 hectares of land to boost cocoa, oil palm and cassava production in the state.The governor also announced that the first company for Bitumen Exploration and Processing in Nigeria would commence operations in the state before the middle of next year.

Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, who is also Special Adviser to the Governor on Development and Investment, Boye Oyewumi said he and his team will focus on investors and sector targeting and marketing, promotion of tourism, business facilitation and partnerships with multilateral and donor organisations and management of the state economic zones, among others.

Meanwhile, Ondo State government has earmarked N7.6 billion for the rehabilitation of the education sector aimed at improving quality and infrastructure development of the sector. 

Commissioners for Information, Yemi Olowolabi and his Finance counterpart, Wale Akinterinwa, disclosed this while addressing journalists after the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting at the Governor’s Office, Akure. 

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