Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has called for a partnership with Chinese investors to explore the numerous mineral resources in the state.
Abiodun made the call yesterday when he received the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Yu Dunhai, who paid him a courtesy visit in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

According to him, the state is blessed with abundant natural resources, making it the largest contributor in the non-oil sector of the nation’s economy, hence the need for the state to partner with Chinese investors for more coordinated exploration.

He said: “Ogun State is number one in cassava, eggs, poultry, and fish production. Our land is fertile for the cultivation of cocoa, rubber, and cashew. We are the number one producer of cement in Nigeria and the third in Africa behind Egypt and Morocco.

“We have huge human resource potential because we are the education capital of this nation. We have more educational institutions than any other state.”

“We look forward to partnering with Chinese investors in the area of exploring our natural resources because some of your people have connived with the locals to explore our mineral resources illegally without paying attention to the environment.”

Speaking earlier, the Chinese Ambassador, Yu Dunhai, said the state hosts about 160 Chinese companies investing more than $1 billion at the Ogun-Guandong Free Trade Zone at Igbesa, Ado-Odo-Ota Local Government Area of the State, saying about 100 more were on their way. He attributed the influx of Chinese investors to the conducive business environment, the good weather, and the friendly nature.

Nigeria, the Ambassador noted, is China’s biggest trading partner on the continent, adding that the signing of a bilateral agreement between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, was to reposition Nigeria-China relations for the mutual benefit of both countries.