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By Bamikole Omishore
London, United Kingdom – In his visionary move to position Osun State as Nigeria’s choice investment destination, His Excellency (H.E.) Governor Ademola Adeleke embarked on an official working visit to the United Kingdom from February 26–29, 2024. The mission was to showcase and amplify Osun’s potential and anchor a new economic culture for sustainable growth, development, and innovation.
Osun, with its rich history, diverse cultures, mineral resources, and abundant agro-commodities, is a significant part of Nigeria’s economic landscape. The Governor’s commitment to upholding Osun’s dominance as an epicentre of entrepreneurial exploits reflects resilience and potential for driving the attainment of critical Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
More importantly, Osun State has a dynamic population of around 5 million and Governor Adeleke is working doggedly to transform and regenerate its depth of ingenuities from a purely civil service state to thriving entrepreneurship hubs while building an economic dynamic with competitive global impacts.
Significantly, with projections that Nigeria will be the third-most-populous country by 2050, Osun State and Nigeria’s demography, by extension, will play a pivotal role in shaping the right path for Africa’s future and global economic competitiveness.
His Excellency, Governor Adeleke’s strategic transformational economic plan is to get investors to Osun to unleash the state’s untapped potential in different sectors. Governor Adeleke aims to establish strong trade relationships with UK businesses in various sectors, including solid minerals, sustainable energy, creative enterprises, agribusiness, tourism, and a technology-driven digital space. The official working visit seeks to align Osun with the UK’s global trade strategy, fostering inward investment, outward exportation, and modern agricultural innovation, and create interest in Osun’s upcoming investment summit, which will happen later in 2024.
Mission Objectives and Strategic Meeting Plans of the working visit include promoting Osun as the choice investment destination, aligning with the UK’s trade plan, exploring legislative frameworks, and strengthening the state’s creative economy. The governor met with Rt. Hon. Lord JD Waverley who is a distinguished member of the House of Lords, and Rt. Hon. Jonathan Marland, the Chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) and was able to kickstart the conversation to bolster trade and investment relationships and leverage global platforms for Osun’s economic advancement.
Governor Adeleke also delivered a powerful speech at the launch of Gureje IV Luxury chocolates. This is a byproduct of the cocoa grown in Eti Otin in Osun State. As the Special Guest of Honour at the Promoting Cocoa Renaissance Initiative, the governor shared his plans to transform Osun into the powerhouse of cocoa value chain production and be a leader in the production and export of diverse derivatives of cocoa. He invited investors in the audience to come to Osun and guaranteed them an enabling environment for their businesses to blossom.
With this visit, Osun and the UK seek to foster strategic cooperation by exchanging of cutting-edge technologies, innovative trade ideas, and partnership opportunities. In addition, these collaborations will not only strengthen the UK-Osun relationship but also create jobs, support local businesses, and contribute to the growth of key sectors, which will contribute to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)’s by 2030.
Governor Adeleke’s official working visit definitely unlocked numerous opportunities for Osun State to benefit from the United Kingdom’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), and this is expected to reposition Osun to export goods duty-free, furthering economic growth and collaboration between Nigeria and the UK.
Governor Adeleke is a visionary leader who is committed to transforming Osun into a major player in global economic growth and innovation, and he recognizes the UK, like any other country, as a crucial partner in this transformative path.
Omishore is the Special Adviser on Sustainable Development Goals and Multilateral Relations to Governor Adeleke and a cabinet member of Osun State Executive Council.
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