adminThe Special Adviser to Ogun state governor, Dapo Abiodun, on Media and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade has said the governor has changed the state’s fortune for better since he assumed office in May 2019.
Akinmade while stating this in a chat with newsmen on Monday, noted that like many states in the country, Ogun State has had its fair share of inadequate infrastructure such that systems like transportation, healthcare, agriculture, power and social services, are in dire need of maintenance and upgrade.
He clarified that the administration is investing heavily in infrastructure in order to raise citizen living conditions and foster an atmosphere that will attract investment and support state development in the future.
Maintaining that Abiodun’s commitment to infrastructural development extended beyond just building roads, he added that the governor is as well aware that the provision of housing, security, and water infrastructure is essential for the socioeconomic development of any country.
“ It is not for nothing that the state has become Nigeria’s top investment destination, with industrialists like the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, investing heavily in the state. The Governor’s experience as a boardroom player has in no small way helped to reposition Ogun State’s investment trajectory.
“Noticeably, Abiodun’s view of infrastructure is holistic and includes boosting agriculture and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as the engine of growth and economic development.
“As a means of exploring the state’s proximity to Lagos,which is the country’s commercial hub, the visionary governor is also partnering with the Lagos State Government on key joint ventures.
“This partnership, which covers infrastructure, security, and tax issues, among others, will further help to fast-track development and create a spillover of commercial opportunities.
“For instance, the Lagos-Ogun Joint Development Commission (LOJDC) is a common alliance between the two states to jointly tackle issues bordering on security, sanitation, traffic and transportation, waste management, water supply, land use planning, infrastructure development and maintenance, urban renewal and slum upgrading for the mutual benefit of our people and the generality of Nigerians.
“Among others, this is to facilitate rapid development of border communities in Ota, Akute Alagboole, Lambe, Ojodu, Agbado, Mowe, Warewa, Isheri and all the eight local government areas that share boundaries with Lagos State.
“The provision of an investment-friendly environment is already having multiplier effects on the economy of the state, as companies are taking advantage of Ogun’s location as gateway to the hinterlands of Nigeria.
“For travellers on Abeokuta- Sagamu Expressway, a major aspect of Abiodun’s achievement is the rapid springing up of industries that have been providing employment for the teeming populace, including artisans. The State Government’s investment on Atan- Agbara-Lusada Road was deliberately meant to address the dire needs of industries in the area as the industrial hub of the state.
“Expectedly, the rising investments in infrastructure are already having multiplier effects on the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), with the state ranked first among states in A1 Index,” the Special Adviser added.
