The Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has reiterated his administration’s commitment to continuously improve the economy of the state by focusing on agriculture for self sufficiency of the state.
The Governor also stated that his government would not relent in its effort to harness all resources the state is endowed with for an enhanced economy.
He said these are the reasons why Osun remains the best destination for investors who might also coming in from China as a result of the recent trade investment agreement between Nigeria and China.
Aregbesola gave the assurance while addressing a gathering of business investors at a dinner party organised by the state Government in honour of Chinese investors at the Government House in Osogbo.
He said the present government is keenly interested in ensuring appropriate exploration and exploitation of all the available resources to achieve greater economic drive.
The governor, who described agriculture as the only sustainable sector and panacea to present economic challenges, said no government has the potential of succeeding in the face of the present situation without greater investment in agriculture.
He hinted that his government, having been challenged by the effects of the present economic realities, had resolved to revamp the sector and make it the state's economic mainstay.
Governor Aregbesola emphasised that the economic relationship so far between the State and the Chinese investors is a "win-win prospect", saying the state had opened-up opportunities for robust business investment in all sectors of the economy.
He said as part of his government’s determination to boost the revenue base of the state, it has provided an enabling business environment for meaningful investment in agriculture.
The Governor stressed that the state under his watch would not relent in its strive to transform, reposition and develop the state for the betterment of all.
According to him, " Our stance on agriculture sector has been genuinely demonstrated since our assumption of office as we have successfully harnessed the opportunities in agricultural sector to turn around the state's economy.
"The present government has significantly raised the level of cassava production in the state, and as I speak to you, Osun is the largest producer of cassava in Nigeria just as we are equally blessed with huge gold deposit.
"As our government is keenly interested towards appropriate exploration and exploitation of all the available resources being endowed with the state, thus, we are bent towards an advanced economic drive to transform the state.
"Apparently, our government has intensified plans to improve the level of participation in agriculture having realized that it remains the sustainable panacea to economic disaster.
"Since the present economy calls for greater participation in agriculture, our government has touched the lives of farmers meaningfully just as we are encouraging youths to farming having identified the limitless potentials in agriculture sector", Aregbesola added.
Earlier, the leader of the Chinese delegation and Managing Director, Golden Monkey Group, Wang Bao Gen, lauded the state government for investing hugely in agriculture.
The Chinese investor who described Governor Aregbesola as a man with clear vision, said the efforts put together by the present government at resuscitating the lost glory in agriculture called for collective applause.
Wang Gen who attributed the ongoing economic relationship between the state and the Chinese investment company to what he regarded as "noble economic partnership", said the company would do all it could to effect meaningful change in the state’s agricultural sector.
He said with the current business partnership between the state and the Chinese Golden Monkey Group in cocoa production, the duo had achieved great results in the last few months.
The Chinese business man described Osun as a home of multiple economic potentials, adding that the foreign investors would not fail to maximise the business opportunities given to it or hesitate to quickly speed up the agreement reached with the state in order to fast track a mutually beneficial relationship in agriculture sector.
He said the mission of the investors in the state was to increase the production capacity of the state in agriculture, most especially in cocoa, cassava, cashew and potato productions as well as in forestry and mining.
Wang Gen further assured that the Chinese companies who are already in partnership with the state would continuously assist in exploring the state's resources for a worthy economic prosperity.
"Our coming to Osun was primarily based on a clear motive to harness the state's economic potentials in agriculture for collective benefits.
"Certainly, our presence here had informed us on the abundant economic advantages of this state most significantly in agriculture and as a result of this, our companies are fully ready to promote the state's resources towards the actualization of greater economic prosperity.
"With the support given to us by the state government so far, we promised to continuously build on whatever is capable of benefiting us and the state," he stated.
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