Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has opened the Oyo State International Trade Fair known as “EXPOYO 2024,” which returned after a 15-year hiatus, noting that his government remained open to bringing prosperity to the state.
While declaring open the event with the theme, “Showcasing the Economic Potentials of Oyo State through Agriculture, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises,” at the Permanent Trade Fair Complex, Sango, Ibadan, on Monday, the governor stated that despite the challenges and hardship facing the country, all hands must be on deck to repair the economy rather than trade blames.
He maintained that one of the ways to achieve such repair is for the country to shift its focus to export orientation instead of import substitution, noting that developing export market rather than focusing on producing for local consumption will help in improving the economy and the currency of the country.
Makinde disclosed that though people argue that allocations from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) have doubled, states only have 26 percent of the allocations, saying all stakeholders must work together to bring Nigerians out of the current hardship.
The governor revealed that with the return of EXPOYO, the fair will now be an annual event, pointing out that despite insinuations that second term governors are often laid back in terms of performance, his government resuscitated the event and has been breaking new grounds in expanding the state’s economy.
He said: “This is a very tough period for us as a country. Economically, things are not going the way we want but this is not the time to give up. It is the time to look at opportunities, because opportunities are always lurking in the corner when there are challenges. For us in Oyo State, we are not giving up. It is about time we changed our orientation.”
Makinde asserted that Oyo State citizens are not interested only in things they will consume locally, but want to produce, sell to the world and earn the necessary foreign exchange, saying the export market in the state must be developed to attract foreigners so that the exhibition will become truly international.
He stated: “As for the Oyo State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (OYCCIMA), we have a conducive atmosphere not just for exhibition but for trade and industrialisation. We want to attract investments to Oyo State. It is not acceptable to me or to any of us here that a state, which is 120km away from here, is generating over N65 billion every month in IGR and we are struggling to generate N4 billion monthly.”
While promising a conducive environment for trade and industrialisation to attract investors to the state, the governor charged OYCCIMA to also attract foreign investors so that the fair would become really international in the years to come.
Boost the Economy
Earlier in his address of welcome, the Commissioner for Trade, Industry, Investment and Cooperatives, Ademola Ojo, said the government has been expanding thestate’s economy by working in concert with the players in the private sector and leveraging the state’s potential to move the state forward.
While calling on the people of the state to be part of the epoch-making fair, Ojo equally assured them that the policies of Makinde’s administration will continue to enhance ease of doing business in the state.
Also, the President of OYCCIMA, Dr Daniel Gbadero, appreciated Governor Makinde for his exceptional economic transformation agenda and his support towards the success of the “EXPOYO 2024.”
The governor and his entourage thereafter inspected the trade fair exhibition ground.
Present at the event were the former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Hamid Gbadamosi; member of the Board of Trustees, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mrs Mutiat Ladoja; a former Minister of Industry, Trade and Investments, Mrs Onikepo Akande; foremost industrialist, Chief Bode Amoo; and Justice Akintola, who represented the Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Iyabo Yerima.
Others were the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Olanike Adeyemo; Chief of Staff, Segun Ogunwuyi; former Chief of Staff, Bisi Ilaka; Chairman and Co-Chairman of the Oyo State Elders Council, Dr Saka Balogun and Elder Wole Oyelese respectively, as well as members of the Oyo State Advisory Council.
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