Ekiti State Government has identified a diversified economy and a
highly skilled and motivated workforce as the catalyst to making Ekiti
a destination of choice to investors to drive diverse development and
growth the State needs.
Commissioner for Information, Tourism and Values Orientation, Aare
Olumuyiwa Olumilua, made this known while speaking at a press
conference to kick start activities marking the first year anniversary
of Governor Kayode Fayemi with the theme, “Walking the
talk…Restoring values, Enhancing potential.”
Aare Muyiwa said government was already into partnership with some
private investors and development partners that would eventually
attract to the state over $100million to finance Ekiti Knowledge Zone,
Special Agriculture Processing Zone, Ado-Akure Road and Ekiti Airport
as well as $5million to revive the moribund Ikun Dairy farm.
According to him, “These projects will ensure that Ekiti is the hub of
the service and knowledge industry in Nigeria, cement our place as a
leading agricultural hub, and also improve access and connectivity for
business and recreational travelers”.
Olumilua added “Other projects include the World Bank funded NEWMAP
and RAAMP projects which will improve water supply to Ekiti people,
and open up rural access roads to enable the easy evacuation of our
farm produce. Very soon, we will seek for investors for 3 of our state
owned assets; Ikogosi Warm Spring and Resort, Fountain Hotels, and Ire
Clay Bricks Limited. You may all wish to show your interest. We are
confident that our professional approach will attract credible and
worthy investors.
“Ekiti State is about to conclude a joint venture partnership with
Promasidor Nigeria Limited, to revive the moribund Ikun Dairy Farm.
The Shareholder Agreement for the new company to be formed to manage
the Dairy Farm will be signed this month with Promisador as the core
investor, while the State will retain a minority interest, through its
investment company, Fountain Holdings. This will attract a new
investment of $5 million into Ikun Dairy Farm, which will be used to
buy equipment, provide the appropriate herd of cattle, and develop an
Out Grower Scheme for providing feed for the cattle.”
He affirmed that government would continue to invest heavily in
education and healthcare of the people to ensure a skilled and healthy
workforce. He explained that human capital forms the basic requirement
to attract investments and other rewards to the state, adding that the
state’s development plan is hinged on the need to lay a solid
foundation for sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
The Commissioner assured that government would leverage on the state’s
competitive advantages and history by focusing on agriculture and
agri-business, knowledge and economy services, tourism and hospitality
as well as solid minerals, saying it would prioritize development of
the Ekiti Knowledge Zone, and the Special Agriculture Processing Zone
that will make Ekiti the destination of choice for investors.
“Our people still remain our greatest asset, and we will continue to
invest heavily in education and healthcare, to ensure that we have a
skilled and healthy workforce. Human capital is one of the most
important requirements to attract investments and our goal is to
improve both education and healthcare outcomes by ensuring that our
people get the requisite quality contemporary education, which will
qualify them to take up the jobs that will be created by new
investments in the state.
Building a diversified and inclusive economy, leveraging our
competitive advantages and history by focusing on agriculture and
agri-business, knowledge and economy services, tourism and
hospitality, and solid minerals while we will not ignore other
sectors, these sectors will be the main drivers of growth. Our
infrastructure spending will be focused on building the right enablers
for the sectors to grow our economy and be the engine of job
creation,” he stated.
The Commissioner however berated how the immediate past administration
bastardized every facet of Ekiti including economy, education, health,
sector and many more.
He said, “The Fayemi-led administration inherited a severely eroded
state with our once pristine values as a people, seriously battered.
Every facet of life in Ekiti was touched, albeit negatively. Civil
servants, Teachers, Local Government workers, indeed all public
servants were owed salaries, economic activities had grinded to a
halt, and there was hunger in the land, while criminals and
criminality held sway in Ekiti. Investors fled, Development Partners
vanished, donor agencies disappeared and the dreaded “Yahoo-Yahoo
boys” were about the only visible set of people in the society who had
a free flow of the much desired cash. Morale was very low. The number
of out-of-school children multiplied, as parents who were not paid
salaries had problems keeping their children in school.
“Upon the recommencement of the Fayemi-led administration, the job of
rebuilding, and refocusing the state, started in earnest. To make the
state rise from its ashes like the mythical Phoenix, the job of
rebuilding had to start from scratch. Guided by the administration’s
5-point Agenda of Agriculture and Rural Development, Social
Investment, Infrastructure and Industrial Development, Knowledge
Economy and Good Governance, Governor Fayemi has successfully put our
state back on the firm path to sustainable peace and development,
which would survive administration after administration.”
Aare Olumilua appreciated the media for their support in the task of
developing the state and making life more meaningful for the people as
well as their excellent coverage and positive exposure of events in
the state. He urged them to sustain and improve the current level of
professionalism.
