The Ondo State Government has rolled out a 30-year development plan for rapid social and economic growth of the state in order to transform all the communities across the 18 local government areas of the state.
Emmanuel Igbasan, the state Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, who disclosed this in Akure, the Ondo state capital, said the development plan was designed in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Igbasan, therefore, said the initiative would touch all sectors including, Agriculture, Gold-mining, Education, security, health-policies and an enabling business environment.
According to him, there is need for the state to have a long-term development plan for adequate and accelerated exploration of the abundant natural resources across the 18 local government areas of the state.
He said; “As a people, we must define a clear path for our progress. For anyone or nation to experience progress and development, there must be a clear, strategic and sustainable trajectory, which provides the compass that will guide and direct efforts and resources. The future we all desire, depends on the vision we have, strength of the foundation we lay and the efforts we make today.
“It is therefore against this realisation that the present administration, in compliance with the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Law 2017; commenced the process of charting a clear path that will not only address our present day challenges, but provide the high way for accelerated development for the next thirty years.
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“The core objective of this exercise is to galvanize all citizens and friends of Ondo State to collectively set the policy direction that will optimize our efforts, harness our potentials, define the future we want and channel them to catalyse socio- economic activities that will guarantee a shared prosperity for all, irrespective of the party in power.
“Our development and technical partner–United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), assisted us in conducting the needs assessment throughout the eighteen local government areas and trained our technical staff on system dynamics approach.
“Ondo State, which is ranked the 7th biggest economy in Nigeria, possesses a tremendous potential to be the giant of Nigeria, as the highest producer of cocoa, largest deposit of bitumen, equally has vast arable and fertile land with various vegetation ranging from the savannah at the northern part, to the rain forest at the central part, which is suitable for all arable and cash crops, and bounded by the ocean with the longest coastline, deepest natural draft for deep Sea Port, suitable for Africa’s maritime hub.
“The State is blessed with abundant mineral resources, such as gold, oil and gas, granite silica sand, ceramics etc., but most essentially, it is populated with about six million intelligent, honest and industrious people. We are naturally positioned as the pride of the Nigerian State and the elegant bride of Africa.”
Igbasan explained that a steering committee would soon be put in place to act as a link between the people of the state and investors for the 2054 goal to be realised.
“We implore all and sundry to join hand with us as we collectively decide on the best way to harmonize our development strides, direct our focus and concentrate our efforts now and in the future to achieve our desire for a great Ondo State,” he said.
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