Economy
OGD commissions Renewed Hope Market in Ogun State
OGD commissions Renewed Hope Market in Ogun State, unveils BATOGD Movement, and reaffirms support for President Tinubu’s reforms and re-election
Speaking at the event, Senator Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD), former governor of Ogun State and current lawmaker, acknowledged the poor condition of roads leading to the host community but described the sacrifice of attendance as “truly worth the effort,” placing Ìgodè firmly on the state’s development map.
Also read: The Ogun East Mid-Term Local Government Assessment Tour: The Energetic OGD at it Again
He explained that the tour reflected a long-standing tradition of reviewing campaign promises through community assessments, taking feedback, and identifying new areas of intervention.
At the ceremony, OGD also launched the BATOGD Movement, a grassroots mobilisation platform, stressing that his loyalty to President Tinubu remained “sacrosanct.”
He commended the President’s bold economic reforms, including fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange stabilisation, describing them as courageous steps to correct “monumental missteps of the past.”
Highlighting his Gateway Front Foundation’s 25-year legacy, OGD noted its alignment with federal initiatives such as the Students’ Loan Scheme.
He recalled his administration’s achievements in human capital development, scholarships, and health initiatives, including over 3,000 free cataract surgeries in partnership with Eye Foundation.
The senator also pointed to federal-backed projects in Ogun East, including the Naval Base at Abigi/Makun-Omi, now nearing completion with residential quarters, an administrative complex, and plans for a naval hospital and secondary school.
He said the facility was evolving into “a naval city with capacity to open up economic frontiers.”
OGD reaffirmed his vision for an Agro-Cargo Airport City with an aviation school in Akaka Remo, now advancing with federal and state support. He commended Governor Dapo Abiodun for prioritising the project, ensuring it did not go to waste.
On wider regional development, the senator said he was championing the creation of a new state from the old Ijebu Province, with 75 Senate colleagues already endorsing the proposal.
He also revealed that he introduced the bill for a South West Development Commission, now receiving presidential attention.
He stressed that the removal of fuel subsidy had boosted allocations to states and local governments fourfold, urging governors to give good accounts of these funds.
Addressing the people of Ìgodè, OGD called on the Ogun State Government to tar the road to the new international market, enabling the town to fully benefit from the investment.
Also read: OGD: My Employers Dictate My Voice – APC Spokesman Nuberu Sparks Outrage
“This commissioning could have been held in a bigger town, but we chose Ìgodè for strategic reasons. Today, this relatively unknown town has entered the development map of Ogun State,” he said.
The governor distributed official vehicles to judicial officers and said about 90 per cent of court rehabilitation projects across the state had been completed
The Oando chief says transparency and stronger institutions are essential for African businesses seeking long-term international capital
Economy
Governor Dauda Lawal Join VP Shettima’s Delegation to Benin Republic, Seeks Industrial Model to Boost Zamfara’s Agric Zones
Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has described the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ) as a practical blueprint for transforming Zamfara state’s agricultural sector, as he joined Vice President of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima and five other governors on a working visit to the Benin Republic industrial hub on Friday.
The delegation toured the 1,640-hectare public-private industrial platform, inspecting integrated textile and agro-processing facilities where locally produced cotton is converted into yarn, fabric and finished garments while cashew and soybean are processed for domestic and export markets. GDIZ, developed by the Beninese government and ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms, has created more than 25,000 jobs since production began in 2021.
For Governor Lawal, who presides over an agrarian state with vast arable land and a strong comparative advantage in crop production, the visit presented an opportunity to draw direct lessons for Zamfara’s agricultural transformation agenda.
“Zamfara holds a strong comparative advantage in agriculture. We grow all crops in the state, we are not limited to soybeans. We have the land and it is fertile,” Governor Lawal had told global investors at the Africa Investment Forum in Morocco last November, where he signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) to drive large-scale agricultural transformation under the INTEGRANIUM Initiative.
The GDIZ visit is aimed at strengthening the implementation of Nigeria’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones Programme, drawing practical lessons from Benin’s approach to agricultural value addition, industrial infrastructure, investment mobilisation and export-oriented production. Particular attention was given to the textile park’s integrated production system covering cotton spinning, weaving, fabric processing and garment manufacturing. Governor Lawal believes that Zamfara State can benefit from the $370 billion worth of global cotton valuation by ensuring Zamfara grows more cotton and can also lead the charge by reviving moribund textile manufacturing hubs and value chain which could generate millions of jobs, expand non-oil exports and stimulate economic activities.
Governor Lawal’s participation in the delegation aligns with Zamfara’s recently launched 10-year Development Plan (2025–2034), which envisions the state becoming “a benchmark for transformative economic growth, not merely for Nigeria, but the continent of Africa”. The plan prioritises maximising Zamfara’s agricultural and natural resource strengths through partnerships, mechanised farming, agro-processing and value chains to create jobs, improve food security and reduce poverty-driven insecurity.
Governor Lawal was also in company of other state Governors like; Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Dikko Radda (Katsina), and Umar Namadi (Jigawa). The visit is expected to inform the development of garment-training facilities and dedicated processing infrastructure near agricultural production communities across Nigeria.
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