Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has called for stronger collaboration with Chinese investors to harness the state’s vast mineral and agricultural resources.
Abiodun made the call on Tuesday when he received the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, during a courtesy visit at his office in Abeokuta.
The governor highlighted the state’s wealth in minerals such as gold, bitumen, limestone, clay, kaolin, granite, and glass sand, in addition to its agricultural strength as Nigeria’s leading producer of cassava, eggs, poultry, and fish. He also noted Ogun’s position as the largest cement producer in Nigeria and the third in Africa, behind Egypt and Morocco.
“Ogun State is blessed with a lot of resources, and we look forward to partnering with Chinese investors in exploring them,” Abiodun said. He, however, warned against illegal mining by some Chinese nationals in collaboration with locals, stressing the need for responsible and environmentally conscious investment.
Abiodun said his administration had focused on creating an enabling environment for investors through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), reforms to ease business operations, and infrastructure projects. These include a newly licensed international airport, an inland dry port under construction at Kajola, and plans for a deep seaport at Olokola. He also invited Chinese participation in the state’s agricultural sector, citing Ogun’s ambition to become Nigeria’s food basket.
Ambassador Yu Dunhai disclosed that about 160 Chinese companies had already invested over $1 billion in the Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone, with an additional 100 companies expected. He attributed the strong inflow of Chinese investors to the state’s conducive business environment, favorable weather, and welcoming people.
The envoy described Nigeria as China’s largest trading partner in Africa and said the recent bilateral agreements between Presidents Bola Tinubu and Xi Jinping were designed to deepen ties. He cautioned Chinese nationals against illegal mining and other unlawful activities, stressing that the Chinese government would not condone violations of Nigerian laws.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone, Hajia Hafsat Balewa, said the zone had contributed significantly to the GDP of both the state and Nigeria, adding that the visit reaffirmed the strengthening of bilateral relations.
