The Federal Government has commended Ondo State Governor, Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, for providing a secure and investor-friendly environment that continues to attract major industrial projects into the state.
This commendation was contained in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, on Monday, following the inspection visit of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, to the Supertec Methanol and Harmonium Plant in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area of the state.
According to the statement, the Minister described the ongoing methanol and fertiliser production complex as a massive industrial investment capable of transforming the economic fortunes of the nation.
“Because of the importance of the project in your domain, we decided to come on an inspection tour. What interests me most is the technical advantage of using natural gas on this facility to produce methanol, fertiliser, and many other things that our country needs at this point in time.
“NNPC will be taking advantage of this to drive upstream operations in Nigeria and add value. So, I congratulate you for providing the enabling environment for this project to thrive, for foreigners to come and invest in the state.
“This is what other states of the federation should emulate to drive the nation’s economy in the right direction.
“I will brief President Bola Ahmed Tinubu about this project ahead of its commissioning, as it aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the gas sector,” the statement reads partly.
The Minister commended Governor Aiyedatiwa for hosting the country’s first methanol production facility, stressing that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) would leverage the project to enhance value addition and industrial expansion in the gas sub-sector.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s readiness to collaborate with the Ondo State Government in developing gas-based industries that would create jobs and promote sustainable growth.
Responding, Governor Aiyedatiwa lauded the Minister’s visit and acknowledged the role of the Ondo State Development and Investment Promotion Agency (ONDIPA) in dismantling bureaucratic bottlenecks that often hinder investors.
The Governor said the agency’s reforms had continued to attract large-scale industrial projects, including a 500,000-barrel-per-day modular refinery and a petrochemical plant for fertiliser production in Ilaje Local Government Area.
Aiyedatiwa identified the Southern Senatorial District as the state’s economic hub, rich in oil, gas, and mineral deposits, with strategic projects such as the proposed Deep Seaport and the Ondo-Linyil Industrial Hub, where cassava is being processed into ethanol.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to expanding industrialisation through private partnerships, noting that government alone could not provide sufficient jobs for the growing youth population.
“We have to do that because that is the only way we can grow the economy of the state and provide jobs for our people. There is a limit to the employment opportunities that government can provide for the teeming youth population. But we believe that creating a peaceful and investment-friendly environment will attract private investors because of the peculiar resources that we have,” he stated.
The Governor also disclosed that his administration was working to improve the state’s road infrastructure, including the dualisation of the Ore–Okitipupa–Igbokoda road corridor, while the Federal Government undertakes the dualisation of the Akure–Ore highway.
He further invited investors to explore the state’s vast natural resources, including gold, limestone, and other minerals, assuring them of the government’s full support and protection.
“We are inviting investors to come. The land is there. We have a lot of minerals here, including gold, limestone, and many more, and we are beginning to market them to the world,” the Governor added.
