The Nigerian Foreign Service Academy, Lagos says Ondo State has potential for huge economic investments.
The 23rd Regular Course officers of the academy said this during a four-day tour of the state as part of activities to complete their programme in the academy.
The officers visited Idanre Hills, a UNESCO recognised tourist centre, Ore Industrial Park in Ore, and bitumen deposit site in Agbabu, Idanre and Odigbo Local Government Areas of the state.
Speaking with newsmen in Idanre, Mr Nnamdi Nze, the team leader said the purpose of the tour was to study the state to enable the officers market the potential and resources of the state when posted outside the country.
According to Nze, the hills are a wonderful place for good investments and it has some historical backings which are very important because there is the need to preserve our history for future generation.
He, however, said that there was also the need for improvement to make the tourist sites more attractive to foreigners.
According to him, the hills are a good resource base and it is enough for the state to generate revenue.
“I believe we will be able to project, promote and market it to the outside world and that is the purpose for our visit,’’ he said.
Nze also commended the state governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu over his vision for the Ore Industrial Park, adding that production was ongoing in the park.
According to him, such huge investment is needed for Nigeria to develop.
The team leader urged major stakeholders in the power sector to encourage the hub with regular electricity supply, saying that running the park on generator sets would incur high production cost.
At the bitumen deposit site in Agbabu, the team was amazed that such huge deposit of bitumen was found without being exploited.
“It is quite amazing that we have this kind of resource in the state but not being exploited for economic benefits.
“And we import bitumen to do our roads when it is in abundance in Agbabu.
“It is really surprising that we keep on talking but we need to work the talk. To me, what I see here is money being wasted and we have challenge of revenue,’’ Nze said.
He suggested that pragmatic steps were needed for exploitation of the bitumen so that the host community, the state and the nation would develop rapidly.
According to Nze, it will also create job opportunities for Nigerians.
Also speaking, Mr Ayo Ipaye, the Special Senior Assistant (SSA) on Economic Zone and Investment to Akeredolu, who accompanied the officers, said their visit was to ascertain the economic potentials of the state.
According to Ipaye, their aim is to attract investors to the state.
Ipaye said that the state was open to investors, saying there was availability of skilled labour.
The SSA noted that no fewer than nine different companies were ready for full operation in the hub when connected to the National Grid, promising that nothing less than 9,000 direct job opportunities would be created.
“We have textile mill, paper mill, steel, furniture, plastic and rubber factories as well as factories where household things are being produced.
“This is a huge investment and Mr Governor has promised not to rest on his oars but ensure that this park is working at optimal capacity,’’ he said.
Mr Obafemi Ehinmero, the Director of Special Duties (Bitumen) in the state Ministry of Regional Integration and Special Duties, said that study had shown that huge bitumen deposits abound in the area.
Ehinmero noted that semi-liquid type of bitumen was found in the area and that it was on the surface level.
“Ondo State is actually sitting on very large deposit of bitumen,” Ehinmero said.
He urged the Federal Government to ensure that licensing concessionaires were made easy so that the resource could be harnessed for the benefit of Nigerians.
The director also urged the Federal Government to decentralise mining power of resources so that the state government would expedite action on exploitation for economic benefits.
He added that the state government in partnership with the Federal Government was making some moves to make the bitumen a blessing to the community, the state and the nation at large.
