100 investors storm Ondo for investment summit

No less than 100 local and international investors are expected to participate in the forthcoming Ondo Investment Summit as the state government ramps up efforts to attract strategic partnerships and reposition the state as a leading destination for industrial and economic growth.

Addressing journalists during over the weekend to herald the 2026 summit in Akure, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Entrepreneurship Development and Chairman of the Investment Committee, Summy Smart-Francis, said the event is deliberately structured to unlock the state’s vast investment potential and stimulate sustainable development.

He explained that the summit, themed “The New Order: Forging a Pathway to Prosperity,” would serve as a platform to connect investors with viable projects across critical sectors of the state’s economy.

According to him, the primary goal is to reduce the state’s overdependence on civil service employment and build a thriving private sector-driven economy.

“We are bringing together serious investors who are ready to commit resources to Ondo State. No less than 100 of them. Our focus is on investments that will create jobs, empower entrepreneurs, and fast-track industrialisation,” Smart-Francis said.

He added that the government has identified agriculture, agro-processing, solid minerals, tourism, infrastructure, technology, and manufacturing as priority areas with high returns on investment.

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ondo Development and Investment Promotion Agency (ONDIPA), Emmanuel Omomowo, said the state is opening up multiple sectors for investors, including the blue economy, bitumen, solid minerals, silicon sand and agriculture.

Omomowo added that the administration of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa is working to transform the state’s economic landscape through investor-friendly policies and incentives.

He disclosed that the government has put measures in place to ensure seamless take-off for businesses, including the provision of adequate land – particularly for agricultural investors – at no cost.

A member of the summit committee, Engr. Razaq Obe, assured that the state would not allow the discussions to end at the summit, noting that a dedicated follow-up mechanism had been put in place to convert investment interests into tangible projects.

“We are committed to ensuring that every serious investor gets the necessary support. There will be quick follow-ups, policy clarity and an enabling environment to help businesses thrive,” he said

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Community Development and Regional Integration, Wale Akinlosotu, said the state government is targeting Nigerians in the diaspora as key partners in its economic transformation agenda.

He stressed that Ondo indigenes abroad possess the capital, skills and global exposure needed to drive development back home and urged them to take advantage of the opportunities the summit offers.

Advertisement

Akinlosotu noted that the summit would showcase bankable projects and reforms introduced by the government to make the state more business-friendly, including improved infrastructure, policy support and streamlined investment procedures.

He added that the summit is expected to attract policymakers, development partners, captains of industry and entrepreneurs, stressing that organisers have already expressed optimism that the engagements would translate into meaningful investments capable of boosting job creation and overall prosperity in the state.