The determination of the current administration in running the state economy through public private partnership, PPP, driven received a boost this midweek as Gasoline Associate International promised to build a refinery and energy plant worth #3 billion in the state
Addressing the management of the company including its chairman, Dr lukman bolaji during a courtesy visit at okemosan, abeokuta, governor abiodun while thanking the management of the company for chosen the state said the government has played a pivotal role in attracting investors into the state through its various reforms and policies which according to him has continued to yield positive results due to the influx of investors into the state
Governor Abiodun who noted that Ogun and Lagos States consume about 70 percent of petroleum products in Nigeria, stressed that the project is in tandem with the Public Private Partnership policy of his administration to promote individual prosperity, saying it is a welcome development.
He described Ogun West as important zone that has contributed largely to the State being an industrial hub of the country, adding that his government is determined to promote industrialization of the area by paying attention to it in line with its economic agenda.
Mr governor said a team would be set up to liaise with the company for further discussions saying a project like this is not a walk in the park
He informed that the company came at the right time as government is working hard to partner with relevant agencies to explore the hydrocarbon in Tongeji Island promising that government would do everything possible in assisting the company to make the project a reality
Earlier, the chairman of the company, Dr lukman abolaji said the company would build a refinery with the capacity to refine 400,000 litres of premium motor spirit, PMS, per day at ipokia, in ipokia local government
Dr bolaji while pointing out that the company would be into upstream and main stream had acquired oil bloc at Tongeji Island said the project would sit on 800 hectares of land already acquired by the company stating that it would create employment for the people of the state as 10,000 direct and indirect labourers would be engaged while state internally generated revenue, IGR, would also be increased
Also speaking, the olowu of owu, oba adelola matemilola who led the team said the company was in the state to prospect oil and build refinery for petroleum products stating that this would help the state to be an oil producing state in the nearest future