This submission was made by the governor at the Breakfast Meeting with the Chief Executive Officers and Captains of Industries held at the Mitros Residences Hall, Oke-Ilewo in Abeokuta.
He said the vision of the present administration was to provide effective and qualitative governance while creating an enabling environment for public private sector partnerships and condusive business environment, stressing that since assumption, his government has been able to provide more infrastructure and security.
"To ensure that we increase and enhance the ease of doing business index. We established the Ogun State Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency for the sole purpose of being a one stop shop while also promoting positive investment drive and to ensure that some of these bottlenecks of establishing a business are reduced", he said.
Governor Abiodun noted that his administration is also putting in place Dry Port at Kajola area, near Abeokuta to enable shipping of goods and materials as well as ensuring that the Agro-Cargo airport begins full commercial operation in few months which will further attract more investors into the State.
He also noted that his administration has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a private firm to revive the abandoned Olokola Deep Seaport in the state.
He charged the Chief Executive Officers to take Corporate Social Responsibility more seriously as a way of giving back to the community, saying this is a way of complementing Government's effort.
In his welcome address, the Honourable Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Sofela Adebola said government would continue to partner with business executives, noting that the meeting would further enable government to understand and provide necessary assistance for businesses to grow.
In her Goodwill message, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Ogun Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency, Ms. Sola Arobieke said the meeting was organised to help investors and businesses owners remove the bottlenecks associated with establishing business, saying the agency is ready to support both new and existing businesses willing to expand.
" I can tell you that we have a commitment of approximately $500m in new investments into the state from existing organisations that are present today. This is a testament of the effectiveness of administration’s policies, existing investors are happy doing business in Ogun State and OgunInvest is ready to support them."
Speaking on behalf of Investors and Chief executive officers operating in the state, the Chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Ogun State branch, who also double as the Managing Director of Coleman Cables, Mr. George Onafowakan, appreciated the State Governor for creating enabling environment for business to thrive.
Onafowokan called the attention of the government to perceived multiple taxation, provision of more security and infrastructure, particularly in Ota/ Agbara axis, amongst other critical economic issues.
