Oyo State’s push to position itself as Nigeria’s most attractive investment destination gained new momentum this week as Governor Seyi Makinde delivered the keynote address at the Nigeria–Belgium–Luxembourg Business Forum in Brussels. Addressing global investors, business leaders and development partners, Makinde declared that Oyo is not just a place but a proposition, groomed to be chosen, as he unveiled strategic opportunities across agribusiness, energy, tourism, infrastructure and solid minerals.
Speaking on the theme “Oyo State: Nigeria’s Investable Frontier for Strategic Global Partnerships,” the Governor said Africa is ready for a new era of investment and sustainability and that Oyo State is determined to lead from the sub-national level. “We are the beautiful bride, stable, intelligent, prepared and full of promise,” Makinde said. “We are not waiting for someone to come with a dowry. We are looking for partners who will build with us, grow with us and prosper with us.”
On the sidelines of the summit, Makinde held key bilateral meetings with prospective partners, including Joachim Goedeweeck, Global Cocoa Sourcing and Sustainability Lead for The Belgium Chocolate Group. The meeting marked a major step toward a long-term cocoa value-chain programme. The discussion centred on Oyo’s new accelerated tree-crop initiative for cocoa, cashew and shea. Makinde explained that the State, in collaboration with IITA and CRIN, has launched a three-to-four-year project to revamp aging plantation stock and plant one million new trees, creating long-term export value and rural prosperity. “We are building a modern agro-economy that moves our people from planting to processing and from subsistence to prosperity,” he said.
The Governor also met with William Leclef of IKIC Impact Ventures, an organisation supported by the Belgian government, to explore the deployment of modern vaccine and pharmaceutical storage technologies across Oyo’s primary healthcare centres using innovative cold-chain systems.
In his keynote, Makinde highlighted a series of bold reforms and infrastructure investments that he said now make Oyo the practical choice for global capital. He cited GIS-driven land access, automated building permits, harmonised taxation, investor-protection laws, the One-Stop Investment Centre (OYSIPA), expanding industrial hubs in Fasola, Eruwa and Ijaiye, interconnected highways and the 110km Circular Road. He also emphasized the ongoing upgrade of Ibadan Airport into an international aviation hub.
He reminded investors that Oyo is the first sub-national in Africa to submit AfCFTA post-launch engagement documents and is also the first sub-national member of the World Union of Wholesale Markets, where it is developing a Rungis-style wholesale agrifood market. “When we sign agreements in Oyo State, they are ironclad,” he said. “You have no cause to fear policy reversals. Our systems guarantee continuity.”
Makinde listed priority sectors open for immediate partnership, including agribusiness, agro-processing, renewable energy, public–private infrastructure, ecotourism, smart transport solutions and solid minerals. He extended a direct invitation to international investors: “If you are wondering where to land in Nigeria, think Oyo State. If you want proof of execution, come to Fasola. And if you want a handshake that holds weight, ours is firm and it is waiting for yours. Come, let us build something enduring.”
The Governor’s engagements in Brussels are expected to usher in new deal flows to Oyo State as discussions with European partners advance in the weeks and months ahead.
