The Ondo State Government has outlined a series of power, agricultural and industrial initiatives aimed at strengthening the state’s economy, attracting private capital and improving living conditions across the state.
The projects, which include a $50 billion investment agreement, new power generation facilities and more than N10 billion committed to agriculture, form part of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s “Our EASE” agenda.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, disclosed this while highlighting the administration’s achievements in its first 18 months, saying the government was prioritising projects with direct economic and social impact.
In the power sector, Adeniyan said the government had approved a $1.6 million 350-kilowatt hydropower project and a 7.5-megawatt gas-fired turbine to supply electricity to government facilities.
He said the administration was also distributing transformers to communities and implementing the “Light-Up the Lucky Light” solar programme alongside the O’Datiwa Mass Metering Programme.
According to him, the initiatives are designed to expand access to electricity, reduce energy costs for residents and businesses and establish the framework for state-level electricity generation.
Agriculture has also received more than N10 billion in government investment, with interventions targeting food security, farmer support, value-chain development and private-sector participation.
Adeniyan said the state was opening up large areas of farmland for investors and improving rural roads to ease the movement of agricultural produce from farms to markets.
More than 500 youths have been trained and empowered in modern farming practices, while the newly established Ondo State Cocoa Revolution and Management Board is expected to further strengthen the state’s cocoa industry.
The administration has also set up a Strategic Committee to ensure compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation, while 14,000 smallholder cocoa and oil palm farmers have been profiled under the FAO GEF-7 programme across eight local government areas.
Beyond agriculture and power, the government is pursuing major industrial projects around the Ondo Deep Sea Port, refinery, Free Trade Zone and fertiliser plant.
Adeniyan said the investment drive had facilitated the return of the Dangote Group to the state, with plans for what he described as Nigeria’s largest industrial zone.
The state has also entered into several agreements with investors, including a $50 billion deal involving Backbone Infrastructure Nigeria Limited and Sunshine Infrastructure JV.
The proposed development includes a 500,000-barrel-per-day refinery and a 1,471-hectare Free Trade Zone in Ilaje. A separate $4 billion project covering petrochemicals, fertiliser and cement is also being pursued.
The government said the investments are expected to generate employment, expand local production, increase internally generated revenue and stimulate economic activity.
“We are not just attracting investments for the sake of it; the objective is to create jobs, support local businesses, diversify government revenue and position Ondo State as a competitive investment destination,” Adeniyan said.
He added that the administration’s wider development programme also covers roads, healthcare, education, security, and youth and women empowerment.
