We’ll consolidate Ondo State as industrial agricultural powerhouse of Nigeria – Gov Aiyedatiwa

…….Says State ready for investment expansion, global competitiveness

By Precious Oluwole

Ondo State Governor, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa has reaffirmed his administration’s goal to consolidate Ondo State as the industrial and agricultural powerhouse of Nigeria.

The Governor stated this at the Johnvents group 2025 end-of-year celebration, held at the Dome, on Thursday.

According to the Governor, Ondo State is ready: ready for investment, expansion, innovation and global competitiveness and also open for‌ business, open to partnerships and open to prosperity.

“For us in Ondo State, driving prosperity is neither an abstract aspiration nor a political slogan; it is a deliberate pursuit anchored on policy clarity, institutional reforms, infrastructure expansion, human capital development and private-sector-led growth. Since our assumption of office, our administration has been unmistakably committed to building a State where businesses, local and multinational, can thrive without friction.

“Our mission is to strategically reposition Ondo State as a competitive hub for agribusiness, manufacturing, processing, technology, logistics and energy. Thus we are putting in place deliberate policy framework with the primary purpose of strengthening the ease of doing business environment, streamlining processes, digitising several government operations, securing industrial corridors and providing incentives that make investment safer, faster and more profitable.

“We are also enhancing security architecture, expanding road networks linking production clusters to markets, revamping power initiatives around industrial zones and creating a one-stop-shop for investors through the Ondo State Development and Investment Promotion Agency (ONDIPA); an agency responsible for investment promotion and multilateral corporation in the State. Through these reforms, Ondo State is steadily evolving into an investment destination where global businesses find confidence.

“Agricultural sector remains our strongest comparative advantage, we are transforming opportunities along the value chains, from cocoa to cassava, timber, oil palm, cashew, aquaculture and emerging agro-processing industries. This is the ecosystem within which companies like Johnvents have flourished. It is a system where local producers are integrated into global markets, where farmers earn more predictable value and where industrial capacity is boosted through reliable policy alignment.

 

We are determined to build not just factories but futures; not just production lines but prosperity corridors; not just opportunities but enduring legacies.

“Driving prosperity for us also means investing in our people. This is why our administration continues to prioritise education, technical skills, youth entrepreneurship, proficiency in Artificial Intelligence and digital literacy. Businesses flourish where we have capable workforce, where the environment is secure and where governance is predictable, anchored on the rule of law and due process. These are the pillars we have been strengthening with unwavering commitment.

“As we celebrate Johnvents, its people, its partners, its progress and its purpose, we also celebrate the indomitable spirit of Ondo State: the spirit that transforms local potential into global presence; the spirit that elevates small beginnings into world-class enterprises; the spirit that makes our State not merely a place of residence but a destination for opportunity”.

 

The Governor noted that Johnvents success story is, therefore, not theirs alone; it is a reflection of what is possible when government and the private sector align, have common interest and aspiration as well as move in synchrony.

 

He congratulated the Johnvents Group for another year of remarkable achievements and for continuing to be a shining advertisement of Ondo State’s industrial renaissance.

Earlier, in his welcome address, the Group Executive Director (Real Sector), Mr Tarun Chawla, said the group is poised to ensure that the state is projected in good light while productively engaging its residents.

Those present included Chief of Staff to the Governor, Prince Segun Omojuwa; Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Leye Akinola; Commissioner for Environment, Prof. Tob Loko; Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Adesoji Afolabi; Commissioner for Urban and Regional Planning, Sunday Olajide; Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication and Strategy, Allen Sowore; Special Adviser on Health, Prof. Simidele Odimayo; Special Adviser on Intergovernmental Relations, Kikelomo Ikuomola; Special Adviser on Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Dr Summy Smart Francis; DG PPIMU, Engr. Rasaq Obe; Senior Special Assistant on Youth Empowerment and Job Creation, Amb. Orioye Gbayisemore; Deji of Akure, Oba Dr Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi; and other top government functionaries.