Ologbese: We are Making Ondo State Next Frontier for Investments
The Commissioner, Regional Integration and Diaspora Relations, Ondo State, Adeboboye Ologbese in this interview unveiled plans to transform Ondo State into a business-driven economy as the State waits for the approval and licensing of its deep sea ports. Gilbert Ekugbe presents the excerpts
Tell us about your ministry
It is a two in one ministry. The regional integration has to do with the region aspect which coordinates the entire Southwest region. We have our headquarter in Ibadan which is the Development Agenda for Western Development of Nigeria in Ibadan. We have the Diaspora relations under the leadership of the Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) Abike Dabiri-Erewa in Abuja. We are the state vocal officer and basically under the Diaspora relations, we oversee the welfare and identify Ondo State citizens in Diaspora and when we talk about Diaspora, it is not just citizens outside the country alone, an Ondo State citizen living in Abuja is the Diaspora, an Ondo State person living in Lagos is a Diaspora. So we must coordinate these activities together and see how we can use the wealth of experience to enhance productivity in terms of development of the State.
In the area of the Diaspora too, we try to make sure that we showcase the potentials of the State at any avenue, we find ourselves in any of the Diaspora relations and engagement we have been doing and that was what led us to be co-host in the fifth Diaspora summit we had in Abuja, that was what also led us to Lagos to identify with the Russian engagement in Lagos and why we are doing this is because we quickly want to change the story of Ondo State from a civil servant State to a business driven State because we have all the potentials to become better than Lagos. We are looking at the Ondo deep seaports and we are trying to tell the Diaspora that now that we have our industrial hub going up, which China is actually taking over and we are trying to tell our diasporas who have made it in their chosen carrier to come home to see that there are so many opportunities they could actually invest in the State and apart from that, that is why we took it upon ourselves to say that were not much activities in Akure for the kind of lifestyle they are leaving in Europe for them to come down to Ondo States and to attract them to come home finally and that was why we came up with the idea of we having a Diaspora city. We are working on this project and we are working with the Ministry of Land, Work and Infrastructure. We are also working with the Ministry of Tourism and Culture because it is going to be the first of its kind and it is not going to be a residents estate per se, but a city that is going to actually drive the tourism business of the State at 100 per cent because we are going to have one of the best park in the world, we are going to have a mall that is going to have a cinema.
The mall is also going to have a playground for tennis and for other recreational activities. It is going to have a very standard car park where you can park your car and be guaranteed that nothing would happen to the car, but all of these are not going to be free because these are investments that will be done by the diaspora, we are actually providing a framework by providing lands and the enabling environment for these investments to thrive, but mainly going to be funded by the diaspora and once we have that, this is actually going to drive the cultural heritage of the State and that is why the Ministry of Culture and Tourism is coming on board so that once you come into the park, you can actually understand and know all the cultural heritage of the States at various locations you can exploit. So it is just more or less to say we are we building another new city out of Akure again.
We are marketing this to the whole world and the Diaspora is eager to come on board. So I think this is good so back to the regional integration, I have met with the Director General of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, Oluseye Oyeleye, who is a hardworking man. The Commission is a research institute for the region and we try to look at the common goals we can actually do in the region to enhance development, productivity, what kind of industries we can put in Ondo States that Ekiti State can benefit? What are the industries that can be cited in Osun that Ondo can benefit from so these are part of what we are working on in our bid to create a new hub for the Southwest. So far in terms of States being autonomous, I think it is only Lagos State that has a template to say we can say we can stand on our feet to fund the three tiers of our government without depending on Abuja, but no State in the southwest region can do that right now and technology is fast moving ahead of our crude oil. So in the next 30 to 35 years, by the time technology is able to move ahead of our crude oil, so what becomes of our future as a state, how will we be able to fund the three tiers of our government? So that is why we came up with this concept to say let us design Ondo State as the business hub of the entire Southwest so that why we are by building up Ondo, we are building up Osun, Ekiti and Ogun States for self-reliance and we are also trying to work with Lagos State on this project so that Lagos would also come on board, because we feel we are still one under the region map which is very key too and it might interest you to know that the Amotekun you are seeing today was formed through this ministry and it was formed in DAWN Commission, so these are the activities of the region to have a common goal and that is why when we were forming Amotekun despite the fact that Osun State is a PDP State, but it was able to key to the ideology because the principle was of a common goal. So these are part of what we are actually pushing regardless of our political lineage, we should be able to push a common goal under the region and this is what we have been doing.
Anytime you are talking about driving investment, you need Diaspora engagement and when you are talking about the Diaspora engagement, the ministry is very key, because we are the umbrella body of the Diaspora. So I think it is very important that we begin to look inward and will begin to step forward to see how we can position ourselves. We must also give it to our leader a visionary leader, the Governor, Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu for coming around to say that enough of all this to say that we believe that with all our potentials we should be able to stand on our own and that is why he put all the resources together and did all he could for us to have the Ondo deep sea port and once you have the deep sea port, we want to open our State to the entire world which means that whatever industry you are operating in Ondo State, you can begin to push for exports. We also want to actually drive our agribusiness by 100 per cent so that our port is going to be an export driven port. We would not want to concentrate too much on importation, but rather than export business of the nation, because at the point of doing this, we believe that this is the only way we can actually balance the forex market of the nation. So the more we export, the more dollar we are able to have in our forex and once we have that we will be able to balance out the deficiency in the forex market that we are facing today.
So when you look at all the potentials in Ondo State, that is why the ministry was able to design the key business potential of Ondo State that at a glance. On a seat you can actually see what investible areas you can put your money into to get your investment back. We are working with the Diaspora on this project to see how they can come on board and they have been so committed, because when you’re talking about driving investment, the Diaspora are always very keen about the security. The government is more responsible in the area of providing security for the people. So these are what have given us another leverage and lots of confidence with the diaspora engagement, believing that we have more seniors than ever before, because nobody will not come and invest where their lives and property are not safe, so with the leadership the Ondo State Governor. So I think with all of these I see Ondo State in the next 30 years I see Ondo State economy better than Lagos economy.
What are some of the benefits of the Ondo Sea port when it comes on stream?
We are designing our ports for export business for the nation. We are discussing with Olam in area of having a refrigerator warehousing, so this means it is going to be the first of its kind in the whole of West Africa having a refrigerator warehouse around our port, so this means that we can begin to grow fresh vegetables to export outside the shores of the country and this is money for us and many of the unemployed teeming youths looking for employment do not need to look for employment anymore, but all they need is to go to you tube to find out the fruits and vegetable selling fast in abroad to grow it locally and push for export. By the time we have this, we have a lot of packaging companies moving around the State that would package their goods for export. As per our bitumen exploration, this is part of the setback we have in our bitumen exploration because we do not have a port, but now that our port is coming on board very soon, there is going to be a lot of transformation. You can be rest assured that immediately the port is announced, it is going to be a compact zone and you will agree with me that the whole market across the globe is saturated, but where you have a virgin market is Africa, so that is why we have to position ourselves. Each State must step up and that is why Ondo State is coming up with this project and on the ease of doing business in the country, we are rated number eight which is a commendable gesture, because we are able to put a lot of mechanism in place. Under the leadership of our Governor, in 100 days, you will get your certificate of occupancy in Ondo State meaning that you buy your land and within 100 days, you get your Cof O so this shows that Ondo State is working and ready for business.
Tell us about the current level of Diapora remittances into the State and how it can be channeled into economic development for Ondo State
So far so good, because the ministry was just created probably like a year ago and I came onboard less than a year and this is why we are trying to gather diaspora in trying to make sure that we have a lot of Ondo State citizens, probably in the area of the medical area in the area of the nursing area who have done well in Europe and America to gather their data to seek ways to increase their Diaspora remittances in Ondo State, because when you talk about remittances, the bottlenecks involved is these Diaspora are always thinking about when they come around, they are looking at where they can put their heads and have the kind of life they have abroad and that was what led to the Diapora city, so you will agree with me that when we have our Diaspora city, by the time our sons and daughters are coming home for vacations, we would be increasing our remittance probably by time they come often for holidays they can think about what they can invest in the State. Presently, we are planning a complete database of our Diaspora in Europe, America, Asia, and even in Abuja and Lagos. So once we have all the data together, especially people who had actually fulfilled in all their endeavors and begin to say that okay, you can replicate your business in Ondo State. It might interest you to know that the Permanent Secretary of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is from Ondo State and he has been providing a lot of leadership for our sons and daughters in Abuja. I think it is important that keying into the Diaspora remittances is very key at this point in time. It is not about the Diaspora in abroad alone, we are talking about some of our Diasporas even in Lagos, we have some of our diasporas in Port Harcourt doing extremely well and we are also discussing with them to key into the initiative at 100 per cent
What are your thoughts about Diaspora voting?
It is a welcome development and I think we are working on it and under the leadership of NIDCOM office in Abuja, we have been able to get a NIDCOM office in the State to coordinate the Southwest and this is an arm of NIDCOM, but right now, Diaspora voting cannot be possible, but we will get there. We are pushing for it, but we will surely get it but not now. I do not know how soon is going to be, but we will surely get there. I believe it is their right to come and vote in as much as you are talking about Diaspora remittances, they have been remitting and we have been benefiting from their remittances so they must have a say in the government and it is their voting rights. I am sure that by the next administration, we should be able to come out with something tangible
What assurances are you giving investors in terms of Return on Investment (RoI)?
No investor is a Father Christmas and every businessman is always looking for a quick return in his investment. We have a lot of success story already. We have a lot of track record of investors who are doing businesses right now. We have the Chinese making money and that is why we are able to actually design a mechanism for ease of doing business, because these are parts of what will make you actually achieve quick return on investment. This is also part of the mechanisms we put in place to say in 100 days, you will get your C of O and with your land title, you can able to secure loans to expand and strengthen your investments.
How has your ministry fared over the past one year?
We thank God for the successes recorded so far, but we have our shortcomings and you know for a new ministry there will be some bottlenecks, but right now the success story is that under my leadership, we were able to bring NIDCOM down to Ondo State to coordinate the Southwest and for me this is a success story. So I think this is why the Diaspora are saying that we are actually serious than ever before and they are very ready and willing to cooperate with us.
Despite the economic potentials of the State, what is slowing down the pace of development of Ondo State?
The slow development Ondo State is due to the past administration for not being focused enough. I think it was more of politics than business because it was a very sad story for us to allow Dangote refinery to elude us in Ondo States. I am sure if we have had Dangote refinery rin the State, it would have been a different ballgame but it is not too late for that and that is why I give it to the able leadership of the Ondo State Governor for taking the bull by the horns to say there is need for us to have a deep sea port. We are not telling the federal government to fund the port for us, but rather give us the license and approval. There are lots of partners coming onboard and once we have that, we want to skyrocket and I am sure with the blueprint that we have designed, in the next 30 years, we will be competing with the top economic cities of the world.
