19th April, 2018
Darkey Africa, Consul-General of South Africa to Nigeria, has declared his country’s readiness to partner with Oyo State Government on the economic development of the state.
He made the declaration in Ibadan during a courtesy call on Mr Olalekan Alli, the Secretary to Oyo State Government in his office.
The envoy explained that the visit was to explore a partnership with the state in the areas of agriculture, mining, education, tourism, trade and investment.
Africa noted that South Africa had nine provinces, adding that each of the provinces had an economic profile that state could collaborate with for economic development.
In his remarks, Alli also reiterated the readiness of the state government to partner with any individual, groups, state or country ready to invest in the state for economic emancipation.
The secretary to the state government said the state was given a four-star rating by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) in the area of helping foreign and domestic investors.
He also said Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) adjudged the 4th best investment-friendly state in the country and one of the five states that attracted investment to the country in the last quarter of 2017.
Alli said that the position placed state as one of the safest and conducive states for doing business, stressing that the government was committed to industrialisation.
He noted that the establishment of the Free Trade Zone, Industrial Park and Technical University in the state, by the present administration was to make the state industrial hub of the nation.
He stated that the state government was using agriculture as a platform for its industrialisation, adding that the state was being seen as a centre of industrial revolution.
Alli commended the envoy for selecting the state as the first beneficiaries of its collaboration in Nigeria, promising that the opportunity would be fully and judiciously utilised.
A working committee was inaugurated to fashion out the framework to facilitate the relationship between the state and South Africa within 14 days.