Osun state government has said that it has put in place policies, programmes and infrastructure that will totally liberate the state from relying on the federal allocation which has, for sometimes, been deciding the progress or otherwise of majority of the states in Nigeria. Foundation for economic prosperity, according to the government, was gradually being built in Osun and was working assiduously to attain a glorious height economically. The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Adelani Baderinwa stated this on Sunday while addressing members of a socio-political organization, the Young Mandate Group in Osogbo.
Baderinwa said Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration has provided and invested heavily on profitable and lasting infrastructure that has been enhancing and continue to uplift the economy of the state. He maintained that good infrastructure is the bedrock of socio-economic development, explaining that the massive road construction put in place by Aregbesola’s administration has been connecting people, drive commerce and maintain global competitiveness. Baderinwa noted that the road construction would in no time reduce costs in many economic sectors in the state by providing better accessibility to markets, increasing employment, bringing in foreign investment and improving global presence in the state. The commissioner said Aregbesola has laid solid foundation for economic development of the state and his efforts have been yielding positive result with the recent agreement of Turkish government to partner Osun on trade, commerce and industrial revolution.
Baderinwa stated that the Turkish government has agreed to support the state at completing the MKO Abiola International Airport in Ido-Osun, stating that the airport when completed will aid the state’s economy. Aside the airport, Aregbesola said Osun economy will in no time receive boost when the $30.5million contract won by the Osun RLG/Adulawo Technology Company for the supply of Terrestrial Broadcast Set Top Boxes flows into the market. Baderinwa noted that the 15-year-old moribund cocoa processing industry in Ede has been revived by the Aregbesola’s administration, disclosing that a Chinese company, Shanghai Golden Monkey Group, was ready to invest N10billion into the economy of Osun state through cocoa processing and production. The company, according to Baderinwa, would have the capacity to provide 1,000 jobs for the unemployed youths in the state in the next two years when it begins full production.
According to the commissioner, aside road construction and investment in company, construction of markets by the Aregbesola’s administration has been aiding trade and commerce in the state, saying that new markets like Aje and Ayegbaju International markets have expanded economic activities. Baderinwa submitted that Aregbesola has laid foundation for economic development, stating that in the next five years, the economy of the state would be sustainable and make the state independent of federal allocation. The commissioner stated that Aregbesola’s administration recognized agriculture as a strong pillar of economy, hence his commitment to promoting agriculture and food security through intervention programmes like Osun Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Programme (O REAP) and Osun Rural Access and Mobility Project (O RAMP). He said the O REAP and O RAMP programmes have afforded the farmers opportunity of getting the farm produce into the markets with ease with the provision of compact roads, curvet and bridges in all the villages across the state for smooth transportation.
Source: Vangaurd
