Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has assured domestic and international investors that Ondo State is open for business, industry, innovation and global partnerships amid the opportunities that abound.While giving the assurance on Monday during the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding, Aiyedatiwa disclosed that the state will hold a 12.5 per cent stake, while the partnering companies will take 87.5 per cent equity for the deep Seaport project.Another agreement was signed between Resident Fertiliser and the state government for a $4 billion petrochemical fertiliser plant project in the southern senatorial district of the state.Speaking at the Ondo State Investment Summit 2026 held at the International Centre for Culture and Events (The Dome), Akure, the governor used the occasion of his administration’s first anniversary to unveil what he described as a decisive economic shift from consumption to production.According to him, the state will no longer rely predominantly on civil service structures but will reposition itself as a private-sector-led industrial powerhouse driven by structured policy, regulatory clarity, and political will.
Investors do not go where there is potential alone. “They go where there is structure, certainty, and political will, and Ondo State offers all three,” he said.He assured participants that every engagement, investment discussion and decision reached at the forum would be tracked, adding that by the 2027 edition, the state would present implemented projects and demonstrable economic impact arising from commitments made this year.On energy and industrial development, he cited Ondo’s proximity to the Niger Delta energy belt as a compelling advantage for gas-based industries, embedded generation solutions and independent power projects tailored to industrial clusters.
Governor Aiyedatiwa also emphasised the importance of human capital and noted that the state’s youthful population, numbering in the millions, is energetic, innovative, and increasingly skilled.In his goodwill message, the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who was represented by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim of Ondo South Senatorial District, called on the state government to adopt strategic thinking and position itself for success on the global stage.
On his part, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Summy Smart Francis, said the summit was aimed at repositioning the state for greater prosperity and called on all residents of the state in the diaspora to return home and invest in the state.In his remarks, Chairman of the Coscharis Group, Cosmas Maduka, highlighted emerging opportunities, while examples from MTN Group’s expansion into Nigeria illustrated the enormous value of decisive action.He recounted how an initial $10 million commitment eventually yielded $1 billion within a year, stressing that domestic investment drives sustainable growth more effectively than government allocations.On her part, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, called for optimism and focus, saying repositioning key sectors would require collective action from Nigerians at home and abroad.
