Ondo Summit to unlock investment opportunities – Aiyedatiwa

Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has said that the economic summit held on Monday was to unlock the investment opportunities and position the state as premier investment destination in Nigeria and Africa.

Our correspondent reports that Aiyedatiwa stated this at the 2026 Ondo Summit in Akure.

The summit was tagged “The New Ondo: Forging a Pathway to Prosperity.”

The governor explained that the event was a defining moment in the economic evolution of the state through partnership with various investors.

He said that the state had chosen a different path not to be seen as civil service state but a hub of investments to unlock its potentials.

The governor promised that the state government would be tracking the outcomes of every engagement, investment discussion and decisions from the summit.

“At the 2027 Investment Summit, we will present measurable results, highlight implemented projects and showcase the real economic impact generated from commitments made here today.

“We are transitioning deliberately and strategically from a consumption-driven economy to a production-driven, private sector-led industrial powerhouse.

“This summit represents that transition. It is not a ceremony. It is not a conversation. It is a commitment.

“Under this administration’s “OUR EASE” agenda, we have focused on one clear objective: creating an enabling environment where investment thrives,” he stated.

Aiyedatiwa promised potential investors that they would experience the ease of doing business in the state.

“This is because investors do not go where there is potential alone. Investors go where there is structure, certainty, and political will, and Ondo State offers all three,” he said.

According to him, the state is not asking for opportunity but it is presenting opportunity.

The governor noted that the state possesses one of the longest natural coastlines in the country, approximately 75 kilometres with direct access to the Atlantic Ocean.

He added that the state has one of the largest bitumen deposits in the world; rich agricultural assets including cocoa, oil palm, rubber and timber; significant deposits of limestone, granite, kaolin and other commercially viable solid minerals.

He said that the proposed Deep Seaport would position the state as a major maritime gateway.

“Foremost among our catalytic initiatives is the proposed Ondo Deep Sea Port under a Public-Private Partnership concession framework.

“With a natural draft of between 16.5 and 18 metres and direct Atlantic access, the port is designed to accommodate large commercial vessels, positioning Ondo as a major maritime gateway.

“Adjacent to this transformative infrastructure is the Sunshine Industrial City, designated as a Free Trade Zone on 2,771 hectares.

“Together, they form an integrated port-linked industrial ecosystem encompassing manufacturing, maritime services, petrochemical processing, agro-industrial facilities and logistics platforms with direct export access,” he stated.

Also speaking, the President of the Senate, Godswill Apkabio, promised that the National Assembly would support any bill in actualisation of the Deep Seaport and other projects in the state.

Apkabio, who was represented by Sen. Jimoh Ibrahim, representing Ondo South, said that the Deep Seaport if actualised would usher in vast opportunities for the state.

He enjoined the state government to fix the federal roads in the state and make it known to the National Assembly to influence the Federal Government for refund of money sent on such roads.

Earlier, the Chairman and Founder of Cosharis Group, Dr Cosmas Maduka, urged investors to tap into investment potentials abound in the state.

Maduka noted that the summit had given more insights for investors on areas to invest in, commending the governor for his economic initiatives to liberate the state from civil service status.