BY David Oputah
The second edition of the Ogun State Investors’ Forum ended Thursday, with delegates pledging to improve agriculture and urban development.
The two-day event, which began on Wednesday, May 21, 2014, witnessed a coming together of captains of industry from around the globe to interact with the Ogun State Government in order to tap into the abundant business opportunities in the state.
According to Governor of the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, agriculture and urban development are veritable means for wealth creation.
“When we look at the vast potential employment opportunities embedded in agriculture, the comparative advantage in land mass, we can feed ourselves and other states in South West region and create wealth if the value chain system is strictly followed,” Amosun said.
He revealed that the government intends to build a world-class housing estate to be known as Mission to Rebuild Ogun State (MITROS) City that will make the state habitable for anyone within and across the nation, irrespective of their social class.
Delivering the keynote address, former President of Mexico, Mr. Vincente Fox, asserted that for any state, country, or private investors to reap returns on investments and compete at the global level, they must invest in modern technologies and take the issue of quality seriously.
“Agriculture could be used as a springboard for development in Africa but to make agriculture attractive to private investors, the government must provide transparent and accountable road map,” he said.
“A country could move from being a leader in agriculture or oil sector to manufacturing, and ultimately transform to a knowledge economy.”
He said that there must be strong processing system in agro business. “It makes it more efficient; right from packaging, warehousing to those who will take it to the market. This system must be in place, with the government defining the policies and strategies.”
Fox said Mexico, through its investment in agriculture, currently supplies 70 per cent of fruits consumed in the United States of America.
The Forum featured more than 1000 delegates, cutting across the public sector, industry and the academia from all over the world, including other key world leaders such as Anton Rop, vice president, European Investment Bank, and former prime minister of Slovenia.
The first edition of the Investors’ Forum attracted over 45 companies to the state, with capital investments of between N200 million and N250 million as well as a very long list of intending investors.
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