EDITORIAL: A Worthy Investment Summit

We have deliberately placed emphasis on the Economic and Investment Summit in our editorial here in order to state that the magnificent advance thrust achieved in the State of Osun last week was not the usual run – of – the – mill talk shop. Nigeria today suffers from conference fatigue, loads of meaningless talk shops, jamborees and fiestas achieving nothing of significance.

Last week’s Economic and Investment Summit in Osun was a positive departure from the usual charade. We give kudos to the business like Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and the Chief of Staff, Dr Charles Akinola who superbly fitted the nuts and bolts for a sterling performance. Coming from private sector backgrounds, it is not surprising that the duo achieved a costs and benefits balance largely in favourof the sustainable development of the state, jobs creation, increased revenues and overall well – being of the citizens.

The significance of the advance thrust can be seen in the twenty-two investors who have shown interest in partnering with and investing in the state. The investors both local and international further reaffirmed their commitments to partner with the state by expanding the scope of their businesses.

The decisive point is to institutionalise the advance thrust and make it irreversible. This has been achieved with Governor Oyetola signing an Executive Order establishing the Osun Investment and Promotion Agency. This Agency must be turned into the pivotal trajectory of development in the same way that Chiefs Obafemi Awolowo and Alfred Rewane founded and turned the Western Nigeria Development Corporation [WNDC] into the building block for overall economic development. This is a significant turning point for the state and we acknowledge the far sighted initiatives of Governor Oyetola.