*As Gov Abiodun calls for partnership in mineral resources exploration
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has called for a partnership with Chinese investors to explore the numerous mineral resources that abound in the State.
Governor Abiodun made the call on Tuesday when he received the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Yu Dunhai, who paid him a courtesy visit in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
He said the State is blessed with abundant natural resources, making it the largest contributor in the non-oil sector of the nation’s economy, hence the need for the State to partner with Chinese investors for more coordinated exploration.
He said: “Ogun State is blessed with a lot of mineral resources; we have gold, clay, bitumen, limestone, kaolin, glass sand, granite, among others.
“Ogun State is number one in cassava, eggs, poultry, and fish production. Our land is fertile for the cultivation of cocoa, rubber, and cashew. We are the number one producer of cement in Nigeria and the third in Africa behind Egypt and Morocco.
“We have huge human resource potential because we are the education capital of this nation. We have more educational institutions than any other State.
“We look forward to partnering with Chinese investors in the area of exploring our natural resources because some of your people have connived with the locals to explore our mineral resources illegally without paying attention to the environment.”
Governor Abiodun, who acknowledged the exploits of Chinese investors in the global economy, noted that his administration, since inception, has focused on how to attract more investors by creating an enabling environment and promoting the idea of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to galvanize the State’s economy.
His administration, the governor noted, has created agencies aimed at making business seamless by eliminating bottlenecks and putting in place a multimodal transport system that connects air, rail, and road transport together.
Abiodun noted that his administration has constructed a world-class airport whose license to operate commercial flights was recently approved by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and has also commenced the construction of a Dry Inland Port at Kajola, while plans for the construction of a deep seaport at Olokola are in the offing.
Ogun State, the governor emphasized, needs more investment in the transport sector as it is making plans to connect the blue rail lines on Lagos to the State, while also beckoning on Chinese investors to take advantage of the huge arable land to invest in agriculture, as the State is poised to become the food basket of the country.
While calling for the strengthening of bilateral relationships between Nigeria and China, the governor accepted an invitation to visit Shandong Province during its roadshow exhibition to showcase the State’s potentials and attract more Chinese investors to the State.
Speaking earlier, the Chinese Ambassador, Yu Dunhai, said the State hosts about 160 Chinese companies investing more than $1 billion at the Ogun-Guandong Free Trade Zone at Igbesa, Ado-Odo-Ota Local Government Area of the State, assuring that about 100 more were on their way.
He attributed the influx of Chinese investors to the conducive business environment, the good weather, and the friendly nature of the people as the core attractions.
Nigeria, the Ambassador noted, is China’s biggest trading partner on the continent, adding that the signing of a bilateral agreement between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, was to reposition Nigeria-China relations for the mutual benefit of both countries.
Fielding questions from newsmen after the visit, Ambassador Dunhai said the Chinese Government encourages Chinese companies to come to Nigeria as it is the largest market in Africa.
“They have provided job opportunities to the locals and contributed to manufacturing, trade, and investment in Nigeria. This is very important cooperation that we have,” he said.
He warned against his nationals’ illegal activities, including illegal mining in Nigeria, urging them to operate within the ambit of the laws in their host country, as the Chinese government and its Nigeria Embassy would not tolerate its nationals flouting the laws of the host country.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Ogun-Guandong Free Trade Zone, Hajia Hafsat Balewa, disclosed that the Chinese Government, through the free trade zone, has contributed significantly to the Gross Domestic Product of the State and the nation as a whole, adding that the visit is to reiterate the bilateral relationship between China and Nigeria.
