By Oyeniyi Esan
Executive Member of Foreign Direct Investment Facilitation Group (FDIFG), Akogun Banji Ojo, has expressed the group’s readiness to partner with the Ekiti State government in a bid to transform the economy to match the 21st-century requirements with foreign investment.
Speaking during an online press conference to celebrate the 2022 World Tourism Day organised by Direct Investment Facilitation Group in London, Akogun Banji said Ekiti State would be the next foreign investment haven with the economic potentialities if harnessed to match the 21st-century expectations.
Akogun Ojo, who is also the general coordinator of Yoruba Mandate Group and former gubernatorial candidate of Ekiti state, however, regretted that the state is not visible on the economic map of the 21st century because of a lack of strategic attention to the requirements needed to strive as a developed economy.
Akogun Ojo said:, “We are very conscious about the need to open a serious trade chain between Ekiti state and the developed worlds. With the serious injection of direct foreign investment from the Western world, then we can think of growth and development that can withstand the requirement of today’s economy.
“There are notable Yoruba personalities of the Ekiti origin involved in this project, with the likes of Dr Kayode Babajide, Prof. Kayode Familoni, Hon. Olufemi Folademi among others.
“It is a known fact to Yoruba people in the diaspora that we cannot achieve a workable economy without adjusting to the core requirements of today’s world. We will make sure that there are no barriers to the movement of goods and services in order to increase the productivity needed for economic prosperity.
Akogun Ojo also noted, “The movement will affect all sectors, most importantly; trade because we should take note that the entire Yoruba is left behind in the revolutions in technology and communication.
“This revolution has changed the narratives of the world’s economy. With direct investment in human resources of Ekiti state alone, we stand the chance of breaking down barriers of poverty, unemployment and hunger. We are rich enough to dominate the economy with a pragmatic approach to progressive politics.”
