The Ogun State’s industrialisation project has received a strong boost as thirty-five new firms have opened their production plants in the state’s industrial estates in the last two years.

Some of the new companies are Wempco Steel Mills, Dangote Cement, May & Baker and Golden Pasta. Others are Goodwill Ceramics, Ade Distribution & Investment Limited and African Foundries Limited. Apart from that 80 new companies presently have their applications before the state government via the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

 Bimbo Ashiru, the state’s commissioner for commerce and industry made this disclosure, stating that there is need to realise that commerce and industry is the key, the fact that internally generated revenue (IGR) is always driven by commercial activities in the state, adding that as more industries come into the state to explore investment opportunities, taxes are charged and so on.

He further said that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is championing the industrialisation efforts of the current administration by ensuring that industries come into the state, and that the state in a bid to maintain its position as the largest industrial estate in Nigeria, has introduce many incentives for investors which include a one-stop shop that has reduced bureaucratic bottlenecks in seeking the necessary permits/licenses for new businesses, and has invested heavily in infrastructure to boost business activities.

Ashiru purported that the huge investment in infrastructure and security will create an enabling environment for manufacturers, stating that there are also plans for housing scheme so that companies’ workers can also stay around their location.

He continued that the state has been able to increase the ease of doing business on which it ranked poorly some years back, stressing that it should not take more than 30 days for a business to get approved for land provided there is no litigation on the land.

He also explained that whereby there is litigation on the land, the investors will be asked to choose another land, stating that it is important for the investor to ensure he has approved for the business plan and registering the premises for the business as well as getting all the necessary licenses and permits, such as the architectural design, among others.

He listed the mineral resources in the state to include limestone, bitumen, phosphate, kaolin, tar sand and clay some of which can be mined for the next 500 years, according to analysis.

He also listed the state’s industrial estates which includes Abeokuta-Lagos/Abeokuta estate, Ota-Idi Iroko estate, Agbara-OPIC estate, Ijebu Ode-Ikangba estate and Ogijo-Ikorodu estate. Others are Ilaro-Ibeshe estate, Sagamu-Benin road estate and Ijebu Igbo-Oru estate.