By Olawale Lamina
boasts 40,000 employment capacity…
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has declared that the biggest cotton and apparel industry in West Africa, with a capacity to employ 40,000 people will soon be established in the state.
Prince Abiodun made the disclosure on Thursday when he received the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh and his team, who paid him a courtesy call in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
Governor Abiodun assured that the groundbreaking ceremony for the commencement of the industry would be performed soon, adding that the industry will be sited at a Special Agro-Processing Zone.
“We are planning to house the biggest cotton and apparel industry, perhaps in West Africa, and the groundbreaking is scheduled to take place soon. That industry promises to employ about 40,000 people when it starts, and they are all in our Special Processing Zone.
“What we did is co-locate the Special Agro-Processing Zone with our airport, and we are just at the final stage of completing our Ogun State Agro-cargo and passenger airport. We call the entire place an aerotropolis where we have the airport, the Special Agro-Processing Zone, and the new and biggest customs facilities in Nigeria.
“That airport is an ecosystem of different things, and all centers around efficiency and production,” the governor explained.
He stressed that upon assumption of office, his blueprint for the state’s economy was to create a conducive business environment based on public-private partnership, as well as enablers encapsulated in Infrastructure, Social Welfare and Wellbeing, Education, Youth Employment, and Agriculture (ISEYA) mantra.
Abiodun also disclosed that efforts were being deployed towards more development through road construction, provision of affordable housing and healthcare, building and renovation of schools, as well as youth empowerment.
According to him, the construction of three major roads, such as the Sagamu-Abeokuta, Ijebu-Ode-Epe, and the Agbara-Lusada-Atan roads, all in deplorable conditions would eventually open up the state for easy movement of investors
Speaking about the potentials that exist in the state, governor Abiodun said minerals like bitumen, limestone, silica, gold, and others were in abundant supply by nature, adding that Ogun is one of the six states given approval to operate a Special Processing Zone, capable of being a reference point in Nigeria.
He pointed out that, by its sheer proximity to Ogun will continue to leverage on Lagos State, having the busiest air and sea ports, just as it is working towards becoming an oil-producing state soon.
Briefing the Minister of Trade and Investment on his experience during recent visit to Morocco, governor Abiodun stated that Morocco as a nation encourages investors through various incentives and is currently producing accessories for aircraft manufacturing companies, noting that the country could take advantage of this by establishing good collaboration.
He revealed that his administration is working towards generating power, with a view to offering affordable and cheapest source of energy to industries and companies in the state. even as he briefed his guests about efforts being deployed by his administration to revive the Adire industry and its value chain.
Earlier, the Minister of Trade and Investment, Senator Enoh pointed out that Ogun State represents Nigeria as the major belt of her industrial base in terms of industry.
He said: ” I thank Ogun State for being such a good host to industries. I thank you for encouraging the growth of industry. I think that we, as a people and a country, believe this visit brings back to life and helps our industries understand the role they play.
“We appreciate the constraints our industries are facing as part of the general constraints in our country, but the advantages that lie in this country are enormous as well. So while the constraints are being grappled with, the good thing is that there are potentials that continue to exist, and I think that by working with industries and the private sector, we will be able to achieve the goals of this administration.”
The minister also said that he was in the state on an “industry push” to see how the government could collaborate and partner with industries for the economic advancement of the country in line with President Bola Tinubu’s eight-point agenda, which includes industry and promotion of diversification through industrialization, digitalization, innovations, and manufacturing for speedy development.
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