The Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) has lauded the Administration of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola for its commitment to the advancement of the State’s economy, AMILOADED reports.
NIPC also commended the Administration for being resilient and relentless to socioeconomic, business and investment promotion since its inception.
This is just as the government reaffirmed its vision to rescuing and stimulating the economy, and changing the narrative of Osun from a civil service State to an investment, commerce and industry-driven economy.
The head of the NIPC Southwest Zonal Office, Ibadan, Mr. Hassan Lawal, made this known at the Stakeholders’ Forum organised by the Osun Investment Promotion Agency (OSIPA) in collaboration with the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) tagged, ‘Year 2021 Investment Recertification Exercise and Stakeholders Engagement Forum’.
The event was held at Osun Civil Service Development Centre, Abere, Osogbo, the Osun State capital on Wednesday.
The Stakeholders’ Forum is aimed at drawing a workable investment roadmap and business strategy to further attract potential investors to invest massively in Osun.
Addressing journalists shortly after the Stakeholders’ Forum, Lawal said Osun Government had proved its readiness to turn a new leaf in turning the state to an investment destination.
The NIPC Zonal boss, who described the Forum as a necessity to further assess the State’s readiness for business and investment promotion, said the Commission was highly impressed by the level of commitment geared towards sustaining the State’s economy and enhancing its productivity and economic profile.
He lauded the state government for the prompt and timely creation of Osun Investment Promotion Agency (OSIPA), which he said had really helped in boosting the capacity of the state to foster a better investment and business partnership with local and foreign investors.
Lawal said, “What we are doing here today has been done in many of the States of the Federation and our attention is focused on Osun State as part of efforts to take the State out of its seeming ‘Civil Service Status’ and make it a business and investor driven economy, and this is the process to get there.
“We have been here since yesterday and we have been able to commence this project which we call NICPS i.e Nigeria Investment Certification Programme for States that was developed with the help of the World Bank.
“Our target is to make State to better project their opportunities. We have gotten to a stage to profile Osun economy. Osun is very wealthy, Osun is a very rich State as we have many mineral resources, arable land, and her people are very resourceful. Osun has all it takes to be a leading investment State in Nigeria that is why we have commenced the assessment; and our target is to strengthen the capacity of the State in this regard.
“So, what we are here today for is part of those supports that we give to the States, and it is the turn of Osun. Aside from helping the States to create Investment Promotion Agency, we also assist States with part of those tools in getting a compact understanding of those tools that we use to drive investment and one of those tools is this NICPS.
“I want to thank Governor Oyetola. He has done excellently well, particularly for being the major promoter of the state’s investment and business opportunities. I use this opportunity to appreciate him and for having a formidable team in the Osun Investment Promotion Agency (OSIPA). Osun has done fantastically well.
“Though we are not done yet because after this programme, we still have trainings for the team of OSIPA on how to have the rudiments of investment promotion and how to attract investors. What I presented is part of those tools that we need to drive investment in the State.
“We developed the concept and the purpose is to help States to document, which will lead to better project their opportunities. Don’t forget that Osun has several investment opportunities such as human-capital resources, natural resources and arable lands. So, the purpose of this is to help them to better project these to potential investors.
“It is on record that the last that was done, the state was on 4th star. So, for it to rise, the State must increase on the funding for investment promotion. There is need for the State as well to increase attention and funding, and I must commend the government for what it has done so far,” he added.
On his part, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Osun Investment Promotion Agency (OSIPA), Mr. Femi Adeniran, said the State was resolute to turn Osun to an investment and business destination.
Adeniran, who doubles as the Chief Executive Officer of the agency. noted that efforts had reached top gear to take the State from its present status of four stars to five stars of the maximum investment rating.
He added that the focus of the agency was to strengthen the ‘ease of doing business’ in the State, and pursue vigorously and rigorously things capable of attracting local and foreign investors to invest massively in the State.
The Stakeholders’ Forum had in attendance the Executive Chairman, Osun Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Adegbite Ademikanra; Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Investment, Mr. Yinka Omiyale; some of the Heads of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies; Government Parastatals, among others.
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