It is a known fact that the job of administering a nation is not an easy one. It becomes all the more the case when such a nation has so much tottered with underdevelopment with all the social maliaises that characterize it.
In fact, it is always an issue of grave concern, that a nation so blessed with human and material resources is struggling with poverty of its burgeoning population, to wit, an acute lack of basic infrastructure.
These issues and more are the motivating factors for the political foray, of one of Nigeria’s disciplinarian entrepreneurs, humanist, sports lover, rural development campaigner and civil rights defender.
In just about a year he has made the entry into the political terrain of the country, the name Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has since embraced the klieglights. Beginning from his Ogun base down to the entire southwest, that name now resonates with the treasured paraphrase of a new Nigeria.
In more senses than one, he has come to represent or depict the renaissance that this era dreams of, and certain factors have accounted for this.
These include the point that the man himself is a committed achiever, attested to, by the chains of resounding success he had achieved on the different offices and responsibilities he had thus far executed.
Ajadi is a humanist, in fact, a man with an unusual flow of human kindness, as could be attested to by all those who have been opportune to encounter him. And for this, he has his peculiarly challenging upbringing to point to. Though that is story for another day, but it is with the hindsight of personal struggeles earlier in life, that Ajadi readily wants to pour out his goodness towards anyone in need that genuinely meets him.
No wonder it was not a struggle that upon the blasting off of the whistle for the last elections, there were a legion and one groups willing to embrace him, and to urge him to take a short at political office. If he had thus far done good for the people using personal resources, he could be trusted with responsibility at the highest levels of poltics.
The people’s will, acked by a previous revelation that he would hold office at peak levels in the country so he could accomplish the reasons God created him, Ambassador Ajadi becasme a strong contender in the race to Oke Mosan, the Ogun seat of political power, his initial quest was for the presidency of the nation.
He was however persuaded as it were by party elders to shelve his presidential ambition to come for a rescue mission of his dear state. And since then, Ajadi, an entrepreneurs, show business promoter and sporting philanthropist amongst others, accepted the call for rescue by his party, he had not looked back.
A man who wants to lead by example, has traversed territories, embarked on wide consultations within and beyond the state, studied leadership styles, and had set up different think tanks with the sole purpose of bringing out the best for the state. Economic Diversification of Ogun is thus dear to his heart.
A fallout of that wide consultation is the unveiling of a ten-point agenda which touches the different key sectors of the Ogun economy, having incorporated economic diversification through enterprise development.
The economic diversification arm of that manifesto is the subject of this discourse, while the other aspects would form the subject of analysis in subsequent write-ups.
With over 6billion population, and a strategic location, close to the country’s most industrialised state, Lagos, Ogun state is indeed an important state in the country.
It is home to some of the finest intellectuals Nigeria has produced and in fact, some of its past national leaders. Its tag of the Gateway state is both a heritage and a call to action.
The beautiful side to it however is that the state has been blessed naturally with resources like limestone, chalk, phosphates, and clay kaolim,. Agricultural endowment include Cocoa, kola nuts, rubber, palm oil and palm kernels, tobacco, cotton, and timber.
With a favourable vegetation and fertile soul, the equation seems complete for a total economic renaissance, the only remaining factor being human resource management, which Ajadi himself, backed by a team of technocrats and experienced professionals from different walks of life are ready to provide.
Economic Diversification of Ogun the way Ajadi envisons it is anchored on infrastructure to enable the environment for entrepreneurship to thrive. Under focus are provision of stable electricity, motorable roads where not existing and rehabilitation of existing ones that are in poor condition. It includes the provision of pipe-borne water, introduction of tax rebates in critical sectors, provision of export incentives as well as reduction in the number of taxes payable by manufacturing companies.
Long before now, Ajadi’s think Tank has negotiated a relationship with some South East Asian countries, studied models of poverty alleviation in China for example, industrial revolution in Singapore etc for the purpose of collaborating at due time.
Brining it closer home, the man himself said: “We will put every necessary measure in place towards the commercial exploitation of the different solid minerals scattered in the different local governments of our state.
“Effective harnessing of the above will ensure increased income generation.
“With the provision of basic infrastructure like electricity, water and roads, these enterprises would be able to do their jobs, increase output, employ more hands and reduce dependence on imported items.
“Beyond that, they would be able to take their products to the markets where they would be sold”, Ajadi said.
On the long run, economic value of individuals would have been enhanced, more products of need would have been produced, and income would increase for both individuals, companies and the state, and the entire manufacturing value chain in the state would have been revitilised.
With proximity to Lagos and land links with other countries, Economic Diversification of Ogun is certain. Dependence on smuggling, which he said is harming both the economy and its people, would be out of the question.
“Some of the things being smuggled into the state can be produced by our people, thereby creating more jobs and income. We will provide necessary things for those things to grow here”.
“We are already working of youth and women programmes, two important sectors for economic development.”
According to the agenda, keeping youths and women busy also helps to drive petty crimes. And that endowment in agriculture would make this aspect of his manifesto to succeed.
Everything predicated on availability of infrastructure
“We will provide incentives for agriculture to let them embrace it. That would keep them busy and put money in their pockets so that they can run businesses of their own”, he said.
On infrastructure, he mentioned neigbourhoods like Mowe, Ibafo, Sango, Akute, which he said are either hosting some manufacturing firms or have the capacity, but bemoaned the sheer lack of roads in most of those places.
He said Economic Diversification of Ogun is possible as such neigbourhoods have been captured in his infrastructure renewal programme, for the multiple benefits.
When companies provide their own electricity, roads, and water for example, they put the cost on the prices of their products and services, who suffers? It is the consumers, the people.
“But when such things have been provided by the government, cost of doing business will reduce and the price of product will also fall.
“That is part of what our agenda will tackle”, Ajadi reiterated.
– Ezenwa is a lecturer at NIJ, Lagos and member, Guild of Professional Analysts of Nigeria (GPAN)