Sola Adeyemo 
Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has expressed his administration’s readiness to partner with the United States to explore opportunities in solid minerals development, agribusiness, education, and other investment sectors that will benefit both parties.
According to a release signed by Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Special Adviser (Media) to the Oyo State Governor, this statement was made on Wednesday when a delegation from the United States Consul-General, led by the Deputy Chief, Political and Economic Section, Kenise Hill, paid him a courtesy visit at the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Ibadan.
Governor Makinde, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal, said his administration has implemented policies aimed at fostering engagement in solid minerals development, environmental management, agribusiness, energy supply, and more.
He said: “I want to warmly welcome you to Oyo State. I want to assure you that we have huge potential here that can be leveraged for a partnership beneficial to both parties.
“The Solid Mineral Development Agency is a new initiative created to address the challenges of solid mineral exploitation in Oyo State.
“Nearly half of the state’s landmass contains various solid mineral deposits that can be tapped and developed in collaboration with the U.S. government.
“The State government is open to engaging with both the private sector and directly with you; we will provide the necessary facts and figures when you visit the agency.
“Regarding the environment, there are numerous environmental initiatives that could positively impact Oyo State, and we are open to exploring them.”
Governor Makinde also highlighted the importance of agribusiness development, noting that agriculture is a priority for his government.
He emphasized, “We have put agriculture at the forefront of our agenda because we believe we must be able to feed our people.
“Before you leave, I encourage you to visit some of the agricultural institutions here, including IITA, which plays a vital role. We would appreciate financial support for the agricultural initiatives in Oyo State.”
The Governor also pointed out that, thanks to the efforts of the Oyo State government, the President of Sierra Leone recently visited the state to study its agribusiness model.
He urged the U.S. government to leverage this opportunity to collaborate and help improve food security and reduce poverty in the region.
“Food security is a global priority, and we are committed to feeding our people. We need mutual engagement and support to achieve this goal.”
Makinde further noted that his administration has invested heavily in education, with over 21% of Oyo State’s total budget allocated to the sector since he took office in 2019.
“We understand that without education, none of us would be here today. So, we are committed to providing quality education, not just conventional education, but also utilizing technology to align with global trends.”
The Governor also discussed efforts to ensure energy sufficiency for the State.
“No industrial development can thrive without energy.
“In Nigeria, many industries that emerged in the 1980s are now leaving due to energy challenges.
“The Oyo State government recognizes the importance of energy supply for attracting investments, and we have embarked on constructing an 11KVA Hybrid Power Plant to address these challenges. We are ready to collaborate with the U.S. government on energy and any other relevant initiatives.”
Earlier, the team lead, Ms. Hill, acknowledged the potential of Oyo State in areas such as trade and investment, particularly in solid minerals development.
“Our goal is to connect U.S. industries with Nigerian counterparts, both in the private and public sectors. We also aim to support the development of infrastructure in the state and Nigeria as a whole.”
She explained that the U.S. provides grants, typically ranging from $2 million, to support infrastructure projects.
“We are looking forward to exploring how we can collaborate with more entities and identify opportunities, especially in the solid minerals sector.”
Other members of the delegation, including Josh Egba, Banksharon Nwaneri, and Kenechukwu Onyeke, said that the purpose of the visit was to explore opportunities for supporting infrastructure development in Oyo State.
The event was attended by several key officials, including the Secretary to the State Government, Olanike Adeyemo; Head of Service, Olubunmi Oni; Commissioner for Investment, Trade, Cooperatives and Industry, Adeniyi Adebisi; Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Abdulmojeed Mogbonjubola; Executive Assistant to the Governor on Security, Sunday Odukoya (rtd); Chairman, Board of Internal Revenue, Femi Awakan; and Chairman, Oyo State Mining Development Agency, Abiodun Oni, among others.
