By Ayodele Oni
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has enjoined Ondo state Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa to ignore criticisms, and allow his achievements to speak for him.
Akpabio, who was represented by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim of Ondo South Senatorial District, spoke on Monday, at the Ondo State Investment Summit 2026 held at the International Centre for Culture and Events centre, Akure.
He called on the state government to adopt strategic thinking and position itself for success on the global stage.
The Senate President also urged the governor to have a strategy that can serve as his legacy even after his tenure in office.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, called for optimism and focus, saying repositioning key sectors would require collective action from Nigerians at home and abroad.
She emphasised the critical role of the diaspora in driving investment and development within the state.
She urged Nigerians abroad to see the state not merely as a point of origin, but as a land of opportunity ripe for strategic engagement.
“Investing in your homeland is not just a patriotic act; it is an economic imperative.”
She stressed that enabling legislation and government protocols are in place to support investors, both local and foreign, and encouraged stakeholders to take advantage of initiatives designed to reposition key sectors of the economy.
“We must work together to ensure that the resources and skills of Nigerians abroad are harnessed to create jobs, build industries, and strengthen our economy,” she said.
Governor Aiyedatiwa, on a keynote address, pointed out that Ondo will no longer rely predominantly on civil service structures, but will reposition itself as a private sector-led industrial powerhouse driven by structured policy, regulatory clarity and political will.
“Investors do not go where there is potential alone. They go where there is structure, certainty, and political will and Ondo State offers all three,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa stressed that the summit was not a ceremonial gathering, but a commitment to measurable outcomes.
He assured participants that every engagement, investment discussion and decision reached at the forum would be tracked, adding that by the 2027 edition, the state would present implemented projects and demonstrable economic impact arising from commitments made this year.
Under his administration’s “OUR EASE” agenda, the Governor said the government had prioritised creating an enabling environment where investment thrives by simplifying processes, strengthening institutions, improving transparency and accelerating approvals.
Rather than plead for opportunities, he presented what he termed tangible advantages which include:
“Approximately 75 kilometres of natural coastline with direct access to the Atlantic Ocean; one of the largest bitumen deposits in the world; agricultural strengths in cocoa, oil palm, rubber, and timber.
“Deposits of limestone, granite, and kaolin; oil-producing communities in Ilaje and Ese-Odo; connectivity to at least seven neighbouring states; and a strong diaspora population.
“At the centre of the state’s industrial vision is the proposed Ondo Deep Sea Port under a Public-Private Partnership concession framework.”
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