Lafarge Chairman tasks Ogun government on adoption of PPP for Olokola FTZ

Report obtained from Business Day says Chairman of Lafarge Cement WAPCO Nigeria, Olusegun Osunkeye  has required Ogun state government to adopt Public Private Partnership platform for the effective economic turn-around in the State, especially at the on-going Olokola Free Trade Zone project if it must be successful and buoyant economically.

He declared that Ogun state must have begun economic planning and implementation – provision of housing, transportation and other infrastructure that would spur speedy and effective economic development in the Olokola FTZ axis, urging the State government to understudy how Agbara Industrial Estate was established and developed in the ‘80s.

Osunkeye, who was a guest speaker at the Ogun State Public Service Forum organised by the State Bureau of Establishments and Training in Abeokuta at the weekend, said that cur rent economic realities require any economy to adopt Public Private Partnership arrangement, hence Ogun state needed PPP platform to develop its FTZs and other economic concerns.

“I want to say that Ogun state is sitting on goldmine to have those projects in Olokola FTZ, this is the time to open up the place. You supposed to have a bid plan for the place, you should by now, begin an economic plan in form of Housing estates there. That was how Agbara Estate began, the point is that government should open up the road,” he said.

“Some time ago, Ogun was talking about Residency Rule in Personal Income Tax, I am aware that Olokola FTZ is between Ondo and Ogun states; this is the time for government to plan Housing estates around Olokola FTZ so that Ogun state axis will develop faster, but I must also add that this could be fully achieved through PPP arrangement.”

Osunkeye, who equally advised both local and foreign industries operating in the country to key into the Public Private Partnership scheme and undertake Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in order achieve better economic atmosphere in the country and improve the people’s standard of living, disclosed that Lafarge Nigeria spends over N100 million annually on CSR in Ewekoro and Sagamu, both in Ogun state where its major plants are located.

Meanwhile, Governor Ibikunle Amosun has requested a piece of legislation from the State House of Assembly for the establishment of a Public Private Partnership Office in the State aimed at achieving appreciable economic development through economic Public Private Partnership platform and the proper execution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

According to Suraj Adekunbi, the Speaker who received and read an executive letter seeking establishment of Public Private Partnership Office on Friday during the plenary session, declared that the PPP Office, when established would enhance social and infrastructural development in the State.

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