Ondo govt to sign partnership deal with New Jersey

By Precious Oluwole

The Government of Ondo State is set to formalise a Sister-State partnership with the City of Newark in New Jersey, United States.

 

The partnership, which will begin as a pilot collaboration between Ilaje Local Government Area and the American city, is expected to pave the way for broader cooperation between Ondo State and Newark across key sectors including agriculture, youth empowerment, manpower development and knowledge exchange.

Speaking during the meeting, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Public and Intergovernmental Relations, Princess Kikelomo Ikuomola described the initiative as a “sister-sister relationship” designed for mutual benefit.

“It’s a relationship where both sides are supposed to benefit. The County of Newark and Ilaje Local Government are meant to benefit from each other. When we demonstrate that this works well at the local level, it can be expanded to the whole state,” she said.

According to her, the state government opted to begin with a “sample” local government to showcase capacity, transparency and readiness for international collaboration.

“You may not be expecting too much from us, but we have very intelligent and resourceful people who are eager to work. There is so much we can offer,” she said.

She also pointed to Ondo’s vast arable land and potential for organic food production as a key area of partnership, particularly in promoting healthy nutrition and agricultural exports.

“There is so much green land here. We can produce organic food without artificial additives. That is one of the many benefits you can get from us,” she added.

In her remarks, the Commissioner for Transport, Newark, New Jersey, Hon. Olamide Talabi Davies explained that the sister-state model is a structured international partnership involving exchange of ideas, technical expertise, manpower and other resources between jurisdictions in the United States and their counterparts abroad.

“What that means is that it’s a partnership between a state and a city here and back in the U.S. We exchange ideas, resources and even human power. It’s about supporting each other”.

The commissioner disclosed that the process for such partnerships involves three stages: a formal request, an assessment visit and the signing of an agreement in the United States.

She confirmed that Ondo State had successfully passed the evaluation stage following her visit and engagements with government officials.

She said “Not everyone that writes to us is accepted. There are many considerations, whether we are proud to be associated with them and whether they are bringing something to the table. With everything I’ve seen in the past 24 hours, I would say yes. We are going to be partnering with you,” she declared.

She, however, emphasised that the final stage would require Ondo State officials to travel to Newark to sign the formal agreement with the city’s mayor.

“We are inviting you to come to New Jersey to sit down with our mayor and sign the document”, she concluded.