By Adedapo Adesanya
Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State has urged investors in the Nigerian capital market to consider putting their money in the Land of Virtue because they will never regret taking this investment decision.
Mr Oyetola, who was at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Thursday for the 2019 Osun State Facts Behind the Economy, assured investing public of stable electricity, which he said would boost their returns.
He said his administration was doing everything possible boost the economic potentials of Osun State, calling on both local and foreign investors to be part of the success story. He said the relationship between his government and the investment community would be mutually beneficial.
The Governor, who was honoured with the closing gong ceremony yesterday, said his administration was committed to expanding the size of the state by focusing on inclusiveness, diversification, and sustainable growth.
He also rolled out the opportunities in Osun State, saying his plan for development were based on “four pillars” which were economic development, infrastructure, human capital development and security as well as environmental sustainability.
Governor Oyetola further informed investors that the state offeres resources like stable electricity, infrastructure, and human capital for manufacturing and other industrial activities, complemented by easy access to land, with prompt issuance of certificate of occupancy (C-of-O). According to him, to obtain a C-of-O in Osun State takes not more than 90 days.
During the parley with investors, the Governor said from November 19 to 21, 2019, the state government would hold this year’s edition of the Osun State Economic and Investment Summit in Osogbo, the state capital.
“There are a lot of investment opportunities in Osun that the rest of the world does not know about and we want to showcase these to prospective investors during the Economic Summit. We have massive landmass for agriculture, many mineral resources in large deposits and tourist attractions,” he said.
Speaking on agriculture, Mr Oyetola said that with the presence of a land bank in the state, the barriers of negotiating with the communities were eliminated.
“Osun State has a lot of potential and it is a place to be in the area of agriculture. If you remember, in the past, our state was the leading producer of cocoa, which used to be the major revenue earner for even the Western Region and even Nigeria.
“So, we have quite a lot of opportunities for agriculture and we are blessed with abundant mineral resources,” he added.
The Osun State Governor also said that with the abundance of mineral resources in the state, mining was a core area for investment, saying that there has been regulation of mining activities in the sector to allow the state generate adequate revenue.
With the forthcoming Osun State Economic and Investment Summit scheduled to take place in the state capital, Osogbo, the Governor said that his administration was committed to enhancing the state’s development under a public-private-partnership (PPP) model.
To show its commitment, Mr Oyetola disclosed that the state has embarked on economic reforms through the provision of infrastructures like roads, rail, and cargo airport as well as regulating mining operations to pave the way for new investors.
He added that in order to create an enabling environment for investors, the state had also beefed up its security, noting that it was adjudged to be the most peaceful state in Nigeria.
Modupe Gbadeyanka