By Iyabo Adebisi
Oyo State governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde has said that his administration would protect the interest of investors such that change of government would not impair their investments in the state.
He gave this assurance while playing host to the Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), His Excellency Wamkele Mene, who was in Ibadan, the state capital.
Speaking on the comparative advantage of the state, Governor Makinde said Oyo State is central in the geography of Nigeria and that of West Africa noting that the state share a common border with the Republic of Benin, which means access to the West African sub-region in terms of developing the market.
He said:“We are upgrading our airport in Ibadan to international standard. Why we took that decision is not far-fetched. In Africa, you have three major airlines that go everywhere. The largest is Ethiopian Airline, followed by Kenyan Airline and the Rwandan Air. Oyo State is bigger than Rwanda but they have an airline that goes everywhere. Nigeria is in the centre geographically. So, how come we are connecting through Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda or Morocco? Wherever you are going, you first go Far West or Far East and then you try to connect elsewhere.
“We felt because of the geography and in terms of how much is spent on fuel and trying to connect, if we develop a Kigali-type of airport here in Ibadan, we may be able to attract people who don’t have too much time to waste connecting.
“The air side will be ready in September; the terminal itself will be ready in the second quarter of next year.
“We have a land that is arable; you can literally grow anything here. In terms of agribusiness, we have a competitive advantage. We also have competitive advantage in terms of solid minerals. This is a major lithium belt. We believe that we can also develop that quickly.”
The governor also said that the state plans to turn the Rasidi Ladoja Circular Road axis into a world-class environment, a city that would be planned to international standards right from the outset.
The AfCFTA Secretary General, Wamkele Mene who was accompanied by his executive members as well as some investors, lauded Governor Makinde for growing the economy by over 4 per cent, saying the performance bested that of the average country on the continent.
His words, “We see the average growth rate across the continent being 3 or 3.5 per cent. To scale up above that is a testament to your leadership. I think it helps that you came from the private sector, you have a sense of getting things done.”
Speaking on the essence of the visit, Mene said, “We discussed this visit a few months ago when the governor and his team visited the secretariat. It was the first time that we hosted a governor.
“The purpose of us coming here is first to consolidate the collaboration between the AfCFTA and Oyo State. Second, it is for us to be aware of what investment opportunities are available in the state. “It is very important for us to be aware.
“So, where Oyo State is able to say that ‘we are well positioned to support the establishment of a green industrial technology sector, we have the capability for solar or renewable energy’, those kinds of projects would be supported through this syndicated financing that we are agreeing to with the development financing institutions that I have mentioned.
Speaking earlier, Special Adviser to Oyo State Governor on International Trade and the AfCFTA, Ms Neo Tlhaselo, said Oyo State was ready to optimize the opportunities available in AfCFTA.
The AfCFTA and his team were later conducted round some key state projects in Ibadan by the governor and other state functionaries.
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