Economic and Financial Stakeholders from within and outside Ondo Kingdom on Thursday gathered to proffer viable local economic solutions to driving the economy development of the town.
The summit which was tagged the Ondo Development and Economy Summit is a public-private sponsored initiative by the Performance and Project Monitoring Implementation Unit (PPIMU) and Hessmac Consulting.
While delivering the opening speech at the two-day event which took place at the Oba Adesanoye Civic Centre, Ondo, Ondo State, the Managing Director, Ore Industrial Park, Dr. Femi Akinkuebi reiterated the need by the local community to take leverage of the immense economic potentials of the community.
According to him, current economic realities has necessitated the need for people not to solely depend on the government for wealth creation.
“The time is now for us to use what we have at our disposal to create wealth, right from our grassroots we hold immense economic potentials which can be translated into wealth for our communities.
He also urged the people to adopt business friendly measures such as cluster factories, crowdfunding to birth sustainable business enterprise in the community and State at large.
His words were reiterated by the Osemawe of Ondo, His Imperial Majestic, Oba Victor Kiladejo who enjoined indigent members of the communities as well as it indigenes in the diaspora to ensure that it actively leverage on its resources to boost the holistic development of the kingdom.
The Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, who was represented by his deputy, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa also revealed that the Akeredolu led administration will continue to prioritize the emergence of sustainable business enterprise through the creation of business friendly environment and incentives in the State.
“One of the achievements of the Akeredolu led administration in pushing the economic development of the state is the establishment of the Ore Industrial Park, which is a public private partnership firm designed to give the state a huge economic facelift
“Today it houses several other firms such as Cassava/Ethanol Plant, Agrochemicals, Paper Mill Factory, Medium Density Fiber Board, Plantation, Textile Industry, and We-wood.
“The state government is vigorously pursuing other projects across the 18 local government areas of the state to push the economic development of the state, some of which are the Ondo Port Project, the bitumen exploration project, ICT development, construction of roads among many others” he added.
The summit also had panelist discussion session which featured Engr. Adewumi (Denki Wires), Hon. Lola Fagbemi, (Honourable Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperative Services,), and Greatseye Akintunde, (Chairman of Nigeria Association of Small and Medium Enterprises).
Present at the summit were Federal Lawmaker representing Ondo West, Hon Abiola Makinde; Director General, Performance and Project Implementation Monitoring Unit, Engr. Babajide Akeredolu; Former member of the House of Representatives, Hon Joseph Akinlaja among many others.
