The award was presented to the Managing Director of the company, Engr. Adunola Oseni, at a ceremony attended by members of Sedabuk’s management and staff, alongside the editorial board and team of Emerging Elites Magazine in Lagos.

Presenting the award, the Editor-in-Chief of Emerging Elites Magazine International, Princess Olivia Chukwuma, said Sedabuk emerged after a “thorough, transparent and merit-based selection process” designed to identify African businesses that exemplify excellence and ethical conduct.

According to her, the 100 Safe Companies to Do Business With in Africa Award is an international initiative created to recognise indigenous African companies with proven records of integrity, safety, and best business practices, noting that awardees are continuously monitored and recertified every three years if standards are sustained.

The MD of Sedabuk Oil and Gas Industry Limited, Engr. Adunola Oseni, poses with the Certificate of Award shortly after the company was recognised among Africa’s 100 safest companies to do business with.

Chukwuma said Sedabuk was selected for its employee-centric culture, stressing that the company has no record of unpaid salaries since inception, maintains fair wages, and prioritises staff welfare through initiatives such as its “One Nutritional Meal a Day” programme, which she described as “rare and commendable” in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

She also cited the firm’s zero-tolerance policy for fraud, recalling a June 2022 incident in which a pump attendant was sanctioned for under-dispensing fuel while affected customers were compensated, an action she said “clearly reflects Sedabuk’s philosophy of integrity in service delivery.”

Other factors that earned the company the award, she said, include its reputation for honouring contracts, absence of contract-related court cases, strict adherence to safety standards, and voluntary compliance with regulatory obligations, taxes, and statutory dues without coercion.

“With these attributes and more, Sedabuk Oil and Gas has become a beacon of hope—a new breed of Nigerian company that is trustworthy, valuable, and safe to do business with,” Chukwuma said, as she inducted the firm into the Hall of Fame of the 100 Businesses Safe to Do Business With in Africa 2025.

MD, Engr.Adunola Oseni and staff of Sedabuk Oil and Gas Industry Limited during the presentation of a Certificate of Award by The Emerging Elites Magazine International, honouring the company’s adherence to safety standards and best business practices.

Responding, the Managing Director, Engr. Adunola Oseni described the recognition as “a validation of our core values and a strong motivation to do more,” adding that the award belonged to the entire workforce of the company.

“We will continue to uphold integrity, safety, and transparency in all our operations, remain committed to staff welfare and regulatory compliance, and set standards that others in the industry can emulate,” the Sedabuk boss said.

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Sedabuk Oil and Gas Industry on Tuesday reinforced its reputation as a people-centred organisation as it rewarded outstanding employees with cash prizes totalling over ₦10 million at its 2025 Employee Recognition and Awards ceremony held in Lagos.

The event, which attracted over 300 staff members alongside top management officials from across the company’s divisions and subsidiaries, was organised to celebrate excellence, dedication, and loyalty within the Sedabuk workforce.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Managing Director, Engr. Adunola Oseni, described the occasion as one of the proudest moments in the company’s journey, noting that Sedabuk’s steady growth has been deliberately anchored on staff welfare and well-being. She said the company, from inception, made a firm commitment to put its people first, stressing that no organisation can truly thrive if its workforce is neglected.

Oseni disclosed that Sedabuk has never owed or delayed salaries since it commenced operations, describing prompt payment as a mark of respect and responsibility. She added that the company reviewed and increased salaries twice in 2025, improved wages across the board, and sustained its seven-year-old One-Day-Meal Programme to ensure employees do not work hungry.

The managing director announced cash awards spanning retail operations, station-based roles, marts, laundromats, and group-wide excellence categories, explaining that the initiative was not just about financial rewards but about recognising hard work and reinforcing a culture of appreciation. According to her, a loyal and motivated workforce remains the company’s most valuable asset.

She assured staff that management is entering 2026 with stronger welfare policies, better incentives, and more opportunities, with the aim of positioning Sedabuk as one of the best organisations to work in Nigeria. Oseni further urged employees to raise the bar in the coming year by working harder, smarter, and together.

Several employees emerged winners across key categories, including Pump Attendant of the Year, Station Captain of the Year, Mart and Laundromat Excellence Awards, and Special Recognition honours.

The highlight of the ceremony was the Group Chairman’s Spirit of Excellence Award, where Adediran Segun Aderonke emerged Sedabuk Star of the Year with a ₦2 million prize, while Ibiloye Olayinka won the Most Outstanding Employee of the Year award with ₦1 million.

In his remarks, the Group Head, Human Resources and Administration, Mr. Adeleye Olusanjo, lauded the managing director for her consistent leadership and unwavering commitment to staff welfare, assuring employees that more incentives and improved support structures are already being planned for 2026.

The event was attended by senior executives, including the General Manager, Finance and Strategy, Mr. Aderoju Sola; the Group Head, Operations and Logistics, Mr. Rufus Enioshunwa; and the Group Head, Corporate Audit, Risks and Ethics, Mrs. Tolulope Omotola, among others.

Established in 2018, Sedabuk Oil & Gas Industry Ltd operates over 12 petrol stations across Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo states.

The post Sedabuk Oil & Gas Rewards Staff with Over ₦10m, Deepens Welfare Culture first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

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In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday, the apex capital market regulator described the digital assets as unauthorised crypto schemes with no legal backing or regulatory approval in Nigeria.

According to the Commission, neither the promoters nor issuers of Zugacoin and Samzuga GPT are registered to operate in any capacity within the Nigerian capital market.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that Zugacoin and Samzuga GPT are meme coins,” the SEC said. “Meme coins generally have no use case, intrinsic value, or tangible projects backing them.”

The regulator added that the only perceived value of such coins often stems from aggressive promotion by their creators or community hype, making them prime candidates for “pump-and-dump” fraud — a deceptive scheme where promoters artificially inflate the price of a coin through misleading information before dumping it at peak value, leaving unsuspecting investors with massive losses.

“Once the promoters dump their coins and stop hyping the coin, the coin price typically falls and investors lose money,” the SEC warned.

The Commission urged members of the public to avoid engaging in the purchase or promotion of Zugacoin, Samzuga GPT, or any similar crypto assets, noting that anyone who chooses to invest in such schemes does so entirely at their own risk.

To further safeguard investors, the SEC advised the public to always verify the legitimacy of any virtual, crypto, or digital assets and their promoters through its official platforms:

https://home.sec.gov.ng/fintech-and-innovation-hub-finport/registered-fintech-operators/

www.sec.gov.ng/cmos

This warning is the latest in the SEC’s ongoing crackdown on fraudulent digital asset operations targeting unsuspecting Nigerians amid a rise in crypto-related scams.

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For the second time in April, Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has again reduced the ex-depot (gantry) price of petrol, lowering it from ₦867 to ₦835 per litre.

The Lagos-based $20 billion refinery informed its marketers and customers of the price adjustment on Wednesday. This fresh slash follows an earlier downward review earlier in the month, signifying a continued intervention by the private refinery in stabilising fuel prices in the country.

A senior official of the company, who spoke on condition of anonymity, had earlier confirmed the new price, disclosing that a formal statement would be issued in due course.

Further checks on the petroleumprice.ng portal also corroborated the development, confirming that the ex-depot price had indeed been reviewed to ₦835 as of Wednesday afternoon.

Following the reduction, petrol pump prices in retail outlets with special supply arrangements with Dangote Refinery — including major marketers such as MRS Oil & Gas, Ardova Plc, and Heyden Petroleum — are expected to drop below ₦900 per litre, reflecting the marginal cut in the gantry price.

 

Later in the day, the company’s official spokesperson, Mr Anthony Chiejina, released a formal statement confirming the price reduction. He noted that outlets in Lagos with special agreements would sell petrol at ₦890 per litre, offering some relief to consumers amid economic hardship.

This latest adjustment comes in the wake of a strategic meeting held last week between top executives of Dangote Refinery and the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun. The meeting reportedly reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to the naira-for-crude initiative.

The Ministry clarified that the policy was not a temporary intervention, but a “key policy directive designed to support sustainable local refining” and was to be continued immediately — overriding the earlier decision by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) under its former Group CEO, Mele Kyari, which had suspended the initiative.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, continues to battle chronic energy challenges, with erratic power supply stifling industrial and domestic productivity. For decades, the nation relied on imported refined petroleum products due to the comatose state of its government-owned refineries.

The emergence of the Dangote Refinery has been seen as a potential game-changer in Nigeria’s petroleum landscape, especially since the removal of petrol subsidy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in May 2023, which triggered a steep rise in pump prices from around ₦200 to nearly ₦1,000 per litre.

The post Dangote Cuts Petrol Price Again, Now ₦835/Litre first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

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Bitcoin and other leading cryptocurrencies extended their gains on Monday, driven by positive investor sentiment despite concerns over upcoming U.S. tariffs and key economic data releases later this week.

As of 9:55 am WAT, Bitcoin rose 3.71% to $87,480, while Ethereum gained 4.05%, trading at $2,093. The global cryptocurrency market capitalisation increased by 2.94% in the past 24 hours, reaching $2.84 trillion.

Other notable performers included XRP, Cardano, and Dogecoin, which posted gains of 3%, 2%, and 3.8%, respectively. Chainlink, Avalanche, Hedera, and Stellar also recorded growth ranging from 3% to 10%.

“Bitcoin is holding above $86,000, registering a 3% gain today. The key resistance level to watch is $86,700; a breakout could pave the way for $90,000,” said Vikram Subburaj, CEO of Giottus.

Bitcoin’s market capitalisation surged to $1.727 trillion, with dominance rising to 60.73%. Its 24-hour trading volume soared by 93% to $18.2 billion, while stablecoin transactions accounted for 94.74% of total crypto trading, reaching $57.58 billion, according to CoinMarketCap.

Solana Leads the Charge

Solana (SOL) emerged as a standout performer, surging over 7% in the past 24 hours to trade above $139.

The rally was fueled by reports suggesting that President Trump’s April 2 tariffs may be more targeted than initially feared, easing market concerns.

Solana’s momentum aligns with increasing adoption rates. DeFiLlama reported that Solana’s total value locked (TVL) reached 54.87 million SOL, its highest level since June 2022. Additionally, Ali Charts revealed that a record 11.09 million addresses now hold SOL, underscoring growing investor confidence.

Further supporting the bullish outlook, over $72 million in assets have recently been bridged from Ethereum to Solana. Solana’s weekly active addresses (17 million) now significantly exceed Ethereum’s (1.8 million), while Binance’s rising SOL wallet balances suggest fresh accumulation following recent selling activity.

Institutional Interest on the Rise

Institutional acceptance of Solana continues to grow, with Volatility Shares launching two Solana futures ETFs (SOLZ and SOLT) on Nasdaq on March 21.

Major asset managers, including Franklin Templeton and VanEck, have also applied for spot Solana ETFs, signalling increased interest in the cryptocurrency.

Meanwhile, BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes expressed optimism about Bitcoin’s trajectory, stating, “The Fed’s policy orientation could help Bitcoin achieve $110k before it retests $76.5k.”

With the crypto market gaining momentum, investors remain focused on key technical levels and macroeconomic developments that could shape future price movements.

The post Bitcoin Surges Past $87,000 as Crypto Market Extends Gains first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

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The Founder of The Chair Centre Group, former Chairperson of First Bank of Nigeria, co-founder and past chairperson of Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ), Awosika, is a trailblazer and an outstanding motivation to the African girl child that no barrier exists where there is a will. With a net worth of over $18.6 million, according to estimates from Forbes Africa as of 2012, the 61-year-old is worth more than her monetary value, especially when measured by the impact she’s made as an author and motivational speaker.

Awosika, a recipient of many awards from reputable global brands, was a guest on Channels Television’s  Amazing Africans programme, during which she shared her journey from ordinary to extraordinary.

Enjoy some excerpts from this interesting interview!

In The Beginning…

I’m very proud of my entire experience at Methodist Girls High School. First, it was a school that had a lot of culture and a lot of values and sought in many ways to influence our minds in an all-round way. I was very active in sports. I was in the school’s relay team from my second year in school. I was pretty fast, as my friends used to call me ‘The Rabbit’. I was very involved in school plays and I used to debate to represent my school in debates and all of that. So, you had a full life; all the other things to do were fun and we were mixed backgrounds so it wasn’t just an elitist school. It was girls from every kind of home but we all got into the class because we were smart and so you learned from each other so it was a good community.

I have a quote here: ‘Seeing my drive as a young entrepreneur, my father used to say I have given birth to this one and if anything happened, he was always present to assist me even if it meant selling his house to pay up any debts’. He never discouraged you and I’m sure that had a great influence on what you felt you were capable of doing when you don’t have to go against your parents you have their full support.

I am a daddy’s girl, no doubts and no apologies. In many ways I think I had a special relationship with my dad, my siblings always say that he was a hardworking man, he believed in the value of working hard but he was also a very simple man in many ways. My father was in many ways the epitome of contentment. A man who worked hard, and pursued his goals but was happy with his estate in life and was comfortable sitting with the President and can sit the next day with the mechanic and have a gist and talk about it.

When we were young if my father’s driver was driving us to school or somewhere, you didn’t have the right to say, ‘My driver’, because you would get told: ‘You don’t have a driver. My driver doesn’t belong to you’. My dad will tell you: ‘He is my driver and you just have the privilege of being driven’.

I didn’t understand when people asked me later in my 20s: ‘Oh you did something, weren’t you afraid it wasn’t a thing that a girl could do? I didn’t understand it because I grew up in a home where we were mainly girls. My dad had mainly girls. Well, they had three boys in their lifetime and one passed and so I have two brothers and there were five girls. So, we were mainly girls and my dad never told us there was something we couldn’t do. Rather, it was about that we could do anything we wanted to do and we got all the support and encouragement to do that.

My mother was the same in many ways. She had left her Cameroonian home at a very young age, she was about 18 when she left to marry the guy she had met. I think my dad had gone on some Man O’ War thing to Cameroon and they met. She had been betrothed to another king or something; her father was the king of their community. She came to Nigeria and they got married. My dad went to England to further his education and my mom was pregnant with me. She had my brother, she was pregnant with me and was waiting to have me when my dad left for school in England and so she waited, had me, and after I think barely a year, she left my brother and myself with my grandmother and she went to join her husband in England.

You’ve described your father as ‘non-traditional’ in more ways than one. He’s also non-traditional when it comes to maybe even viewing women would you say?

In many ways. I had the liberty of expression, that’s the word I would use and I think that went for myself and all my siblings. My dad was strict in terms of values. He was strict especially because we were mainly girls but as he was strict in terms of making sure he kept us on the straight and narrow path, he was a very supportive, liberated parent in terms of expressing ourselves.

It’s not only your parents who passed on some important life lessons, your grandmother also has played a significant role in your life. Could you let us know how she also lent herself to your trajectory and success?

Well, I think my grandmother had the most influence in nurturing my early years because my grandmother was responsible for me until my parents came back from England by the end of ‘68, early ’69, when I was about 6 or 7 years old or thereabouts. So, the early years of my life were my grandmother’s to nurture. They used to call her by my name ‘cos she had only boys and I was the girl she raised. She had a little shop in our family compound area in Ibadan. My family is from the capital of Oyo State in Ibadan and my grandmother used to sell salt. She had this little shop where she used to sell salt and little things. I think maybe my first exposure to business was sitting in my grandmother’s little store and joyfully handing over products to customers.

I had things figured out so when you follow the trail, you will see just how much the hand of God played in my life you know. When I was in secondary school, I thought I wanted to become a doctor and then I found out that Medical School involved working with real dead bodies and I quickly changed my mind. It was that simple for me, I couldn’t imagine myself playing around with dead bodies so I gave up on being a doctor. Then I thought I wanted to be an architect. Anyway, I ended up in the university to study Chemistry but by the end of my first year in Chemistry, I realised I didn’t love it. I could pass Sciences but it wasn’t a love for me and I wasn’t enjoying it. So, I then thought okay I’d like to be a lawyer because everybody thought I’d make a great lawyer. After all, I used to debate so well and I thought they might just be right. I remember going to sit outside the office of the Dean of Law every day for many days until his secretary said to the man: ‘Look you have seen this young lady, she’s been coming here every day’. And then, this elderly professor, he is dead now. He asked me to come in and asked me: ‘What can I do for you young lady?’ And I said: ‘Sir, I’d like to transfer to law next session.’ The man looked at me and had a good laugh and thought: ‘I like your guts. You know if I only take one person next session it will be you but you must pass very well’. I said, ‘Yes sir’. However, that would be my problem because once you pass very well my department will never release me to him and if I didn’t pass well enough, he wouldn’t take me. I had a Catch 99 Situation. Anyway, I resolved the situation myself because by the end of the session, I changed my mind about wanting to be a lawyer. I now decided I would like to be a Chartered Accountant so I could go and work in a bank.

During my youth service, I was a very rich corper because I was very busy; I was presenting a programme on CTV in Kano. They had some commercial programmes that I used to present. I was doing voiceover and commercials. I was running aerobics classes for private clients because I was an athlete even up to my university level. So I was doing everything to open up myself and I was making money doing that.

From Auditing To Furniture-Making

When I decided I didn’t want to do the audit anymore, I came back home and when I came back I didn’t want to sit down. I had been making my own money and now I didn’t want to go back to my parents to start asking for allowances or anything so I wanted any job I could find first. So, the first job I could get was in a Furniture Company, one week after I came back from Youth Service. Now, I just wanted something to kill time I still had my eyes on going to work in the bank and I only lasted three and a half months in that company. First, I realised whilst there why I had thought about studying Architecture ‘cos all the creative part of me came alive and I realized I was in my element in terms of what I was doing there but I didn’t like the value system of the company and the way they did their business.

I realised working there that when they hired the carpenters, they came with their tools, and that the expensive machinery, there were smaller versions of them, and you could rent the use of those machines without even buying them and there are places where you go and do pay-as-you-go for them to process things for you. There were different factors of production available in this space and all I had to do was think of how to bring them together with three carpenters, two sprayers and two upholsters that was the team.

Building A Transgenerational Business

When I was 31 years old and going on 32, I had my second child. I decided then that I would like to build the business to the highest possible level but I wanted to have a life and in wanting to have a life, I made up my mind that the business must be able to survive without me and I wanted to do it in my lifetime and not when I’m dead so I decided that by 50 I was going to be out of running my business every day. By 48, I had a firm come in and consolidate all my businesses as they were into the Group and then picked people to manage the business in different levels. I have the title of CEO (but) right now I just tell them to refer to me as the founder because I don’t run the business. I have a COO who has the CEO responsibilities, running the entire business and she’ll get his title soon enough. For the past so many years now, I have kept my eye on the business. I’m responsible, I’m focused on helping them in terms of trying to identify the right strategy and if we want to get into new businesses but I’ve allowed the Group to try and find its way without me and I’ve always shunned any temptation to go back.

Why?

Because if you really want a business to outlive you it has to be able to live without you.

The post Ibukun Awosika’s Inspirational Voyage from Ordinary to Extraordinary first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post Ibukun Awosika’s Inspirational Voyage from Ordinary to Extraordinary appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

Investor optimism surged as anticipation grew regarding broader trading approval in the US, with hopes riding high on potential green lights for cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Despite an initial dip following Washington’s approval signal last month, Bitcoin has rebounded impressively, boasting a 25 percent rally since January 22.

As of the latest data from Bloomberg, the cryptocurrency peaked at $50,328, underscoring the resilience and upward momentum in the crypto market, leaving observers optimistic about its future trajectory.

“Enthusiast buyers bring in more enthusiast buyers pushing prices further up,” Fadi Aboualfa, of Copper Technologies, said.

“The cryptocurrency has momentum on the back of several green weeks and has a large chance of going up further when markets see weekly movements upwards of 10 percent (as we saw last week).”

By 0330 GMT Tuesday, bitcoin had dropped slightly, to $49,950.

While Bitcoin has made an impressive recovery, currently standing above $50,000, it still lags significantly behind its peak value of nearly $69,000 in 2020. This rally signals a bounce-back for the cryptocurrency, which faced turbulent times marked by high-profile scandals and collapses within the crypto industry.

Last year, FTX, the world’s second-largest crypto exchange, suffered a dramatic downfall, with its CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, now confronting potential consequences. Prosecutors have characterised the situation as “one of the biggest financial frauds in American history,” and Bankman-Fried faces the looming threat of up to 110 years in prison.

In November, Changpeng “CZ” Zhao resigned as CEO of Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, following both his and the company’s admission of guilt in extensive money laundering violations.

Bitcoin’s upward trajectory is further fueled by optimism surrounding potential interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve this year, as inflation appears to be easing. The cryptocurrency’s value is also influenced by an anticipated supply crunch next year, attributed to the recurring event known as “halving.”

Bitcoin, earned through intricate problem-solving by powerful computers in a process called “mining,” experiences a reduction in reward every four years. With the next “halving” scheduled for April, the limited supply dynamic continues to be a driving force behind Bitcoin’s value surge.

The post Bitcoin Hits $50,000 For First Time Since 2021 first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

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Now second to Apple as the world’s biggest company by market capitalization, Microsoft’s shares were up 1.31 percent at $404.

Apple remains narrowly in first place at $3.02 trillion after reaching the $3 trillion market capitalization mark for the first time in January 2022.

But it has fallen below the milestone, even briefly losing the pole position as biggest company on the markets when Microsoft briefly overtook the iPhone maker earlier this month.

Microsoft more than any other tech giant is riding the wave of excitement over AI.

The Redmond, Washington-based group has a major partnership with OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT, that is reportedly worth $13 billion.

Since the arrival of ChatGPT, Microsoft has launched several products enabling companies and individuals to use the capabilities of generative AI, notably via its Bing search engine and Copilot virtual assistant.

Since the launch of ChatGPT in early November 2022, Microsoft shares have gained some 67 percent, with Apple’s up by about 40 percent.

Microsoft publishes its results on January 30.

The post Microsoft Joins Apple In $3 Trillion Club first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

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Shell has announced a deal to offload its Nigerian onshore subsidiary, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), to Renaissance.

The acquiring entity, Renaissance, stands as a consortium comprising four local exploration and production companies in Nigeria, alongside an international energy group.

Shell,  in a Tuesday statement on its website, said, “Completion of the transaction is subject to approvals by the Federal Government of Nigeria and other conditions.

“Transaction will preserve SPDC’s operating capabilities for the benefit of a joint venture. The transaction has been designed to preserve the full range of SPDC’s operating capabilities following the change of ownership. This includes the technical expertise, management systems, and processes that SPDC implements on behalf of all the companies in the SPDC Joint Venture (SPDC JV)”.

But, it said, “SPDC’s staff will continue to be employed by the company as it transitions to new ownership”.

Shell emphasised  that amidst the competitive landscape, the company remains committed to supporting the management of SPDC JV facilities. These facilities play a crucial role in supplying a significant portion of feed gas to Nigeria LNG (NLNG), highlighting Shell’s dedication to assisting the nation in maximizing value from its NLNG endeavors.

“This agreement marks an important milestone for Shell in Nigeria, aligning with our previously announced intent to exit onshore oil production in the Niger Delta, simplifying our portfolio and focusing future disciplined investment in Nigeria on our Deepwater and Integrated Gas positions,” Shell’s Integrated Gas and Upstream Director Zoë Yujnovich said.

“It is a significant moment for SPDC, whose people have built it into a high-quality business over many years. Now, after decades as a pioneer in Nigeria’s energy sector, SPDC will move to its next chapter under the ownership of an experienced, ambitious Nigerian-led consortium.

“Shell sees a bright future in Nigeria with a positive investment outlook for its energy sector. We will continue to support the country’s growing energy needs and export ambitions in areas aligned with our strategy.”

The post Nigeria: Shell Announces Sale of Onshore Oil Assets first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

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The participants were concerned at the Oyo State International Business Summit which was held at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel, London Kensington, on Friday, May 19, 2023, where the Governor of the State held his audience spellbound for hours.

The meeting was called to draw international investors to the great economic potentials and opportunities that abound across the length and breadth of the State.

In a State that has witnessed some ugly past in terms of real economic development, the current efforts by its handler and chief executive, Governor Makinde deserves accolades from all and sundry.

The Governor held a series of business meetings with potential investors where business communities, stakeholders, traditional rulers, captains of industries, legislators, and cabinet members including members of the First Family and political associates converged to discuss the way forward for real economic growth and development for the State.

Some of the participants included the Governor himself; his wife, Mrs. Tamunuominini; the trip’s Coordinator Peter Eledan; the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly; serving House of Representatives’ members; the Chief of Staff to the Governor; commissioners amongst other economic advisers of the Seyi Makinde-led administration.

The list also included a former Speaker of Oyo Assembly, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu; the Olugbon of Ile Igbon, Oba Francis Olusola Alao, alongside other monarchs from Afijio and Ibarapa areas of the State including some Ibadan senior chiefs and Mogajis.

Some leading investors in the State like billionaire businessman, Engr Dotun Sanusi, Chairman of Ilaji Hotels and Sports Resort, Akanran Ibadan; a frontline serial investor, Dr Abib Olamitoye and a host of other State indigenes based in the Diaspora, spoke to this reporter on the sideline.

The State Governor in his presentation titled: ‘’Your All Access Card to Sustainable Investments in Oyo State – Follow the Data”, copiously quoted from all available statistics and employed the use of data and logic to convince his audience.

According to him, “Through all our efforts in these past four years, we have been able to better our economic standing among the Nigerian States. It is on record that Oyo State is now one of the top five economies in Nigeria. We now have a GDP of $8.67 billion in 2022. This is a growth of about 50% in 4 years. The number of enterprises within the state grew to 1,872,941. And we attracted Foreign Direct Investment of $65 million.

“Against this background, I am sure you would like to know how you can join the thousands of investors in Oyo State and benefit from the huge Return on Investment that has led to about a dozen of these investors joining us at this summit to learn about how they can expand their business.

“The questions I will be answering in the remaining part of my presentation are:

“What are the investment opportunities available in Oyo State? How can you, as an investor, benefit from these opportunities? and

“What has the Oyo State Government done to ensure our incoming investors get the support they need? So, let’s start with the investment opportunities available in Oyo State.

“I will just give an overview based on our focus sectors. I am sure that these opportunities will be discussed over and over as the programme continues. So, our focus sectors are Agribusiness; Solid Minerals; Sustainable Energy, and Tourism.

He also talked about some Infrastructure projects that are available to investors.

In his comment, Dotun Sanusi also a close friend of the Governor could not hold back his joy at the success of the meeting in London.

According to him, ‘our Governor despite just winning a second term and rightly deserving some rest, is taking governance to utopian height as he is living to his promise that he won’t rest on his oars until the State takes its pride of place as the best and investors destination of choice in the country.’

Dotun Sanusi continued: ‘The Governor took the international investors through the historical antecedents of the State; its rich culture, accommodating spirit of its people and their untapped resources in the mining, great hospitality, and agricultural potentials.

‘His Excellency without any doubt is the best man for the job of governing our dear State at a time like this. He is putting his energies and resources to ensure we can achieve what our people ought to have been enjoying before now.

‘I saw him displaying dexterity and professional Marketing strategies so much so that he is to me our Chief Marketer. You need to also see his wife, displaying the rare qualities of a person selling the State like never before. I am proud of them.

‘The gains of this meeting will start manifesting sooner than expected because global investors saw the sincerity of purpose in him and were able to figure out his efforts at changing the shenanigans of our State for the better in the last four years,’ Sanusi added.

Corroborating Sanusi, a leading investor and owner of Ibadan Central Hospitals and hospitality haven, Academy Suites in Ibadan, Dr. Abib Olamitoye said he was encouraged by the progressive leadership of Governor Seyi Makinde and felt obliged to support his capacity to draw investors to Oyo State.

Abib Olamitoye said: ‘ My job is to persuade those wishing to start hotels to come to Oyo State instead of London, Lagos, or Ogun State. And to supply convincing data to them. I was able to do just that and by the grace of God, gains of this effort alongside the overall genuine interest of His Excellency will start manifesting in Oyo State.’

Oyo State is an inland state in southwestern Nigeria. Its capital is Ibadan, the third most populous city in the country and formerly the second most populous city in Africa. Oyo State is bordered to the north by Kwara State, to the east by Osun State, and the southwest by Ogun State and the Republic of Benin. With a projected population of 7,840,864 in 2016, Oyo State is the fifth most populous in Nigeria and its economy has grown in leaps and bounds suggesting that its current population stands at about 10 million in line with the expansive growth of its people occasioned by the current economic expansion agenda of the Seyi Makinde-led administration.

Jeremiah Oke writes from London, United Kingdom

The post How traditional rulers, Dotun Sanusi, other businessmen join Gov. Makinde to woo investors at London summit first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post How traditional rulers, Dotun Sanusi, other businessmen join Gov. Makinde to woo investors at London summit appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.