Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has called for a partnership with Chinese investors to explore the state’s numerous mineral resources.
Governor Abiodun made the call yesterday when he received the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Yu Dunhai, in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
He said the state is blessed with abundant natural resources, making it the most significant contributor to the non-oil sector of the nation’s economy. Hence, the state must partner with Chinese investors for more coordinated exploration.
He said, “Ogun State is blessed with many mineral resources; we have gold, clay, bitumen, limestone, kaolin, glass sand, and granite, among others.
“Ogun State is number one in cassava, eggs, poultry, and fish production. Our land is fertile for cultivating cocoa, rubber, and cashew. We are the number one producer of cement in Nigeria and the third largest producer in Africa, behind Egypt and Morocco.
“We have huge human resource potential because we are the education capital of this nation. We have more educational institutions than any other state.
“We look forward to partnering with Chinese investors in exploring our natural resources because some of your people have connived with the locals to explore our mineral resources illegally without paying attention to the environment.”
Governor Abiodun acknowledged the exploits of Chinese investors in the global economy. He noted that his administration has focused on attracting more investors by creating an enabling environment and promoting the idea of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPS) to galvanise the state’s economy since its inception.
The governor added that his administration has created agencies aimed at making business seamless by eliminating bottlenecks and implementing a multimodal transport system that connects air, rail, and road transport.
Abiodun noted that his administration has constructed a world-class airport whose license to operate commercial flights was recently approved by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and has also commenced the construction of a Dry Inland Port at Kajola, while plans for the construction of a deep seaport at Olokola are in the offing.
Earlier, the Chinese Ambassador, Yu Dunhai, said the State hosts about 160 Chinese companies investing more than $1 billion at the Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone at Igbesa, Ado-Odo-Ota Local Government Area of the State, assuring that about 100 more were on their way.
He attributed the influx of Chinese investors to the conducive business environment, the good weather, and the friendly nature of the people as the core attractions.
Nigeria, the Ambassador noted, is China’s biggest trading partner on the continent, adding that the signing of a bilateral agreement between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, was to reposition Nigeria-China relations for the mutual benefit of both countries.
