Aiyedatiwa Urges British Investors to Harness Ondo State’s Untapped Resources

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has called on British investors to explore the state’s abundant economic and natural resources, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to fostering mutually beneficial partnerships with the United Kingdom.

Speaking while receiving the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Jonny Baxter, and his delegation at the Governor’s Office in Akure on Wednesday, Aiyedatiwa described Ondo as “a land of vast opportunities,” particularly in agriculture, solid minerals, and maritime trade.

He noted that Ondo remains Nigeria’s largest cocoa producer, contributing about 40 per cent of the nation’s output.

“This is the land of cocoa. It was from cocoa that the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo built the Western Region, Africa’s first television station, the Cocoa House, and several other projects,” the governor said.

Aiyedatiwa highlighted the state’s vast mineral wealth, including bitumen, coal, gold, and natural gas, alongside 15,500 square kilometres of arable land suitable for large-scale farming. He added that Ondo’s population of 5.3 million and its ₦5.1 trillion Gross Domestic Product place it among Nigeria’s top-performing states.

The governor further emphasised the state’s strategic advantage, boasting Nigeria’s longest coastline, which he said would be leveraged through a proposed deep seaport to unlock its blue economy potential.

“Our vision is to transform Ondo into a major trade hub,” Aiyedatiwa said. “We are creating a one-stop investment office to help new investors from documentation to operations, and we have strengthened our security architecture to ensure business stability.”

He also commended President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, acknowledging their initial impact on citizens but affirming that they were beginning to yield results for state economies.

In response, Baxter said his visit was to identify new investment opportunities and deepen collaboration between the UK and Ondo State.

“Our relationship with Nigeria has evolved into a partnership of equals,” the British envoy said. “British International Investment (BII) has already committed over $40 million to JohnVents in Ondo to rehabilitate cocoa plantations. We are focused on projects that drive shared prosperity.”

Baxter expressed optimism about the state’s potential, particularly in agriculture and trade, pledging continued support from the British government for development-oriented investments in the region.