“Where road goes, development follows”
Since assuming office, Governor Seyi Makinde has worked with his manifesto, The Oyo State Roadmap for Accelerated Development , 2019-2023. He has followed this plan as he prioritises the four pillars of governance upon which the map is built – Economy (through agribusiness), Education, Healthcare and Security. By his first year in office, he had kept over 50% of the promises he made to the people of Oyo State. At the halfway point of his administration, he has gone over 75% overall manifesto completion and even overshot his plans in some sectors despite the interruption of the unforeseen pandemic of Covid-19 in 2020 shortly after the early administration of Engr. Seyi Makinde
In short, his administration was just eight months when covid came in as a global sick absorber to world economy and mass Exodus of death roll from yound to old. Apparently, Gov. makinde in real sense only did what we are seeing in just two and half years and hopefully to run Omituntun 2.0 hundred percent without any hitch.
Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration has for the forth year in a row, prioritised growing the economy of Oyo State to move the people from poverty to prosperity. With agribusiness as the major driver of the economy, Oyo State has attracted private investments of over N27 billion in agribusiness alone in the last four years till date.
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The Oyo State Government continues to invest in infrastructural development to keep up with the growing population. This is creating jobs in both the formal and informal sectors. In addition, the Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration has injected funds into the Oyo State economy by regularly and consistently paying the salaries of Oyo State workers and pensioners, promotion arrears, leave bonus and other welfare packages.
It is therefore unsurprising that a United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) research ranked Ibadan as the second fastest growing city in Africa citing industrialisation, urbanisation, and economic activities as reasons for the growth and may likely become first anytime soon with the approach and steps of Mr Governor.
No wonder, he was determined, focused, envisioned and full of foresight in ensuring ready made, serious minded and reliable investors are wooed to find their way to southwestern state and pick Oyo state as their home of destination to invest their resources fully as the ground is fertile.
However, he has been able to take some financial decisions that stimulates the economy of the state by the following:
1. No increase in tax or rates
2. Broadening the Existing Tax Base
3. Providing business support and information, particularly to SMEs such as 1Billion Post COVID-19 Stimulus Package for SMEs.
Quarterly Clinics for SMEs where they were taught rudiment of how to write business proposals and attract funding from both local and international donors.
MSME Development Fund in collaboration with Bank of Industry (BOI) through which business owners can get loan/finance for their businesses.
Establishment of One Stop Shop Investment Centre where problems and issues affecting MSMEs are being resolved in one place.
Peer learning amongst MSMEs. MSMEs are being sent to other states to exchange ideas on how to improve on their trades.
Recall that, he used to say: Where Road Goes, Development will Follow hence the connectivity of the five geopolitical zones courtesy of AgriBusiness. Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration has been carrying out road projects that improve access to rural feeder roads. The 12km Apete-Awotan-Akufo Road which leads to the Akufo Agribusiness Hub (previously farm settlement), the 34.85km Oyo-Iseyin Road which leads to the Fasola Agribusiness Hub and the 45.3km Saki-Ogbooro-Igboho Road are being reconstructed while the 76.67km Ogbomoso-Fapote-Iseyin Road is being constructed for this purposes.
Finally, just yesterday he received a team from Shell Nigeria Gas Limited led by the Executive Director, Ed Ubong. The team were in Ibadan to present the finished Oyo State Gas Distribution Infrastructure Masterplan.
In his statement reads: Shell Nigeria Gas Ltd is constructing a Pressure Reduction and Metering Station (PRMS) on a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) basis. The project will deliver gas to industrial, manufacturing and commercial entities in Oyo State.
Also, at this meeting was Mr D. Subashkumar, a representative of one of the companies which attended the Oyo State International Business Summit, Karma Agric Feeds and Foods Ltd. I met with their Chairman in London on the sidelines of the summit, and they agreed to expand their operations in Oyo State by investing an additional $30 million. The only support they requested from our administration was a guarantee that they would get gas supply by Q2 2024 which we committed to do he concluded.
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Hmmmmm, who says GSM doesn’t know what to do and where the good people of Oyo State ought to be? He is full of avalanche capacity and will achieve the 7.5bn IGR in agribusiness economy under Omituntun 2.0
Credit: Egalitarian Dig. Comrade Moyosoreoluwa Olamilekan Eldreez codenamed IJOBA AUTHORITY MOE DYNASTY from Ibadan, Oyo State Nigeria.
