Oyo State recorded 26.4% growth in its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the first half of 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
Governor Makinde, who disclosed this while receiving a delegation of the French Government led by the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Jerome Pasquier in Ibadan, said “since the last time we visited together, there have been positive changes in the economic landscape of Oyo State. For example, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Oyo State still witnessed 26.4% growth in our IGR. We have also been addressing the infrastructural deficit of the state and that has been helping us to actually boost the economy.”
While saying that partnering with the French Government is to broaden the state’s economy and ensure better life for its people, he noted that the partnership had yielded positive results for the state’s economic expansion agenda, while also broadening the state’s economic landscape.
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Governor Makinde stated that he is ready to seek help where necessary to turn around the economy of Oyo State, adding that the state is ready and open to businesses that can bring development and growth to its economy.
“Like the Ambassador mentioned, we are collaborating on several fronts and projects right now. And we want to thank you, the French Government, for your contribution to the RAAMP project. I know it is yet to take off fully but we are ready. All the necessary committees to drive it have been put in place and they are ready.
“Also, the Farmers’ Wholesale Market that we are trying to set up at Akufo, it will interest you to know that from Apete, we are fixing the road all the way to Akufo.
“Work is really going on there. We are excited because it is supposed to be the largest such market in South-west, Nigeria. So, we thank you for your support on that and we hope to still work collaboratively on it.
“Oyo State is ready for business and we have tried as much as possible to be open because we believe transparency is very key. We believe there are programmes we can tailor to fit what we need.”
Earlier, the leader of the French delegation, Ambassador Pasquier, said that there were a lot of things that the French government could do with Oyo State, expressing the willingness of his country’s government to work with the state in agriculture, tourism, health and developing strong links that could help tertiary education in the state.
He appreciated the governor for the hospitality accorded him and his entourage through the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism since they arrived in the state, pledging that bilateral relationship between French Government and the Oyo State Government will continue.
