Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde, has tasked foreign and local investors desirous of investing in Oyo state not to entertain any fears.
The governor said this in Cairo, Egypt weekend during an interview with CNBC Africa, on the sidelines of the Intra-Africa Trade Fair (IATF) 2023 where he took part in the signing of an agreement with the AFREXIMBank and Access Bank.
Makinde declared that Oyo state is one of the safest in Nigeria as he has been running a responsible and responsive government, which has invested and continues to invest heavily on security.
The governor stated that apart from security, Oyo state has comparative advantages in the areas of its vast landmass, solid road infrastructure network already put in place by his government connecting all zones of the state, solid mineral deposits and tourism.
Governor Makinde said the signing of agreement will enable Oyo state and other states in Nigeria have access to a N500 billion facility for infrastructure development, adding that his government, has, since 2019 embarked on a massive infrastructure development drive that has connected all zones of the state and that there are boundless opportunities in the state in the areas of agribusiness, tourism and mining.
“So, in all of these, we are saying, look, investors should come. The major issue that investors may be afraid of, is having a safe and secure environment. I think we have almost passed that hurdle in Oyo state. We are one of the safest states in the country,” he said.
The governor added, “We have invested massively in security and in terms of a responsive government, I came from a private sector background and I was able to let the investors know that they are coming to a state where government business is handled with dispatch.”
