The Ogun State Government and the Organised Private Sector (OPS) have concluded plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the construction of the Olokola Deep Seaport located in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of the state.

Governor Dapo Abiodun made this known during a breakfast meeting with Chief Executive Officers of the OPS in Abeokuta, the state capital, on Wednesday.

Governor Abiodun noted that the construction of the Olokola seaport would provide another opportunity for companies in the state to move their goods and equipment in addition to the Gateway Agro-Cargo International Airport, which is almost on completion stage, and the planned Dry port to be located at Kajola, an outskirt of the state capital.

Prince Abiodun said: “I want to share with you the fact that whilst we are talking about our road, rail and air transport, we will be signing very soon a Memorandum of Understanding with the private sector players for the construction of our seaport in Olokola.

“This is another giant step to ensure that we enable businesses to continue to thrive in our state.”

The governor said that his administration is working towards putting an end to the multiplicity of taxes in the state, adding that the reforms already put in place by the Ogun State Inland Revenue Service would definitely put pay to the issue.

He also urged businesses to patronize government whenever they are in need of land, saying that all land belonged to the government.

“On the harmonization of taxes, we have put in a lot of reforms on our Inland Revenue Service.

“Be rest assured, be patient with me, slowly and surely, we will remove all these multiplicities of taxes.

“We are also concerned about our physical planning as well. The lands department and physical planning are now working collaboratively to ensure that all the problems we have had in the past are resolved.

“All lands belong to the government. My advice to you is that if you want to buy land, come to the state. We have ensured that any land to be sold to you is properly enumerated and compensated.

“So, please, I want to discourage all of us to desist from buying land from land speculators,” he said.

Abiodun said that his administration would be distributing 5,000 Certificates of Occupancy (CofO) this Friday.

According to him, the state is now at a vantage position to continue to issue out Certificate of Occupancy to subscribers with a newly acquired equipment that can sign 1000 CofOs daily.

Abiodun called on the OPS in the state to give back to their various host communities by either taking advantage of the state government adopt a school or primary health care center project.

The governor spoke on the importance of businesses imbibing the culture of technology transfer, which would further assist the country to move forward technologically.

He reiterated the commitment of his administration to ensure steady and uninterrupted power supply soon through the Ogun Light Up Project.

The governor noted that his administration deliberately laid a lot of emphasis on reconstructing roads that connect the Ogun with other states of the country, especially Lagos, the economic capital of the country.

While commending the OPS for joining hands with his administration at repositioning its security architecture through the rejigging of the Ogun State Security Trust Fund, Governor Abiodun added that his administration would continue to do all it can to make the state the safest place to live, work or play.

Earlier in his address, Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Adebola Sofela assured that the state government would continue to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

He said the present administration would continue to partner with industries in the state with a view of propelling the common interest of both the government and industries to greater heights

Also speaking, Ogun State Chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Chief George Onafowokan, acknowledged the position of the state as the best place for industries to thrive.

He, however, called on the state government to continue to work towards ensuring that the enablers for businesses to thrive are readily made available in the state.

Speaking on behalf of the Agbara Cluster, the Director of African Industry Group, Chief Sohan Baghla disclosed that they have being able to provide over ten thousand jobs for the people of the state, adding that a greater percentage of their investments are in steel production and processing, aluminium production and processing, glass, chemicals, steel rolling mills, all situated in the Agbara business cluster.

Ogun State Government will, on Friday, December 1, distribute 5000 Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) to beneficiaries.

A statement issued on Tuesday by the office of the Director General, Bureau of Lands and Survey, said Governor Dapo Abiodun will present the certificates to beneficiaries, thus enhancing the value of their properties, as they can be used as collaterals, while house and landowners can also take advantage of the state’s proximity to Lagos to maximise value.

The beneficiaries are drawn from the Ogun State Land Administration and Revenue Management System (OLARMS) and the immediate pass administration’s Home Owners Charter (HOC).

The event will be held at the Arcade Ground, Governor’s Office, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta.

According to the statement, beneficiaries would be mandated to present valid means of identification.

They will also be accredited by the Bureau of Lands & Survey before the commencement of the distribution.

“The present administration in the state embarked on the exercise aimed at authenticating land documents of all house owners in the state with a view to adding value to the properties and getting the owners to formalize and benefit maximally from them.

“Additional 10,000 certificates of occupancy are in the pipeline for distribution within the next one year, urging interest application to take advantage of the opportunity,” the statement read.

The Ogun State Government has commenced the second phase of the disbursement of the N1 billion grant to micro and small enterprises (MSEs).

The initiative aims to alleviate poverty and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on businesses in the state.

Commissioner for Industry, Trade, and Investment and a member of the Ogun State COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (OGUN CARES) Steering Committee,
Mr. Adebola Sofela, in a statement on Monday,
announced that Governor Dapo Abiodun has directed the immediate commencement of the disbursement process for the second phase of the grants.

This phase will benefit entrepreneurs across the state.

He said that a stakeholder engagement session will be held for legitimate business owners in the Ogun Central Senatorial District at the Obas Complex Hall, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, to kick-start the second phase.

The objective of the sessions, according to the commissioner, is to provide participants with information about the application process and criteria for eligibility.

Sofela added that the date and time for the stakeholder engagement sessions in Ogun West and East Senatorial Districts will be communicated at a later date.

In the first batch, over N120 million was disbursed by the state government to more than 1,000 micro and small entrepreneurs across the twenty (20) local government areas of the state, with the beneficiaries expressing their gratitude in an appreciation letter addressed to the governor.

Trade associations, representing the beneficiaries, including the Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI), Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON), Joint National Association of Persons Living With Disabilities (JONAPWD), Artisans Groups, and Market Men and Women, all commended the Governor for his support during the challenging time.

They highlighted the significant increase in operational expenses and the struggle to pay workers’ salaries, as well as the costs of operational gadgets, utilities, and renting shops.

“We believe that this grant will provide much-needed relief to businesses in our state. We appreciate your continued support and encourage you to stay informed about future updates regarding the disbursement process,” Sofela added.