Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has embarked on a strategic visit to China with his economic team as part of efforts to attract more investments, strengthen the state’s industrial clusters, and advance its digital innovation agenda.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, the visit featured high-level engagements with global industrial and technology players.
Governor Abiodun’s team held talks with Inspur, one of China’s leading IT companies based in Shandong Province.
During the meeting, Inspur executives shared the company’s growth story and future vision, which the statement said resonated with the state’s plans for the Ogun Tech Hub.
“Our conversations with Inspur focused on translating this meeting into meaningful collaborations that will drive knowledge exchange, create opportunities for our people, and strengthen the foundation of our digital economy,” the statement said.
The governor also met with Mrs. Linshuang Zhang (Esther), Chairman of Royal Ceramic, whose flagship factory is based in Sagamu. Zhang commended Ogun State’s progress in building infrastructure, improving security, and creating an investor-friendly environment.
Governor Abiodun reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to sustaining policies that foster industrial growth, saying:
“It gives us great pride that investors such as Royal Ceramic recognize and celebrate these achievements, further validating our resolve to keep Ogun State at the forefront of Nigeria’s industrial revolution.”
The team also held a strategic session with the Managing Director of Lee Group, which announced a fresh investment of about $50 million in the state.
The investment will see the expansion of the company’s detergent operations, job creation across the value chain, and the establishment of two new food-processing factories targeting exports to the United States and Europe.
Governor Abiodun said the move reinforces Ogun’s attractiveness as Nigeria’s emerging industrial capital and positions the state as a hub for export-driven industrialization.
As part of efforts to deepen bilateral cooperation, the governor met with Mr. Zhou Naixiang, Governor of Shandong Province, to revive and strengthen the Shandong-Ogun State Economic and Trade Partnership under the Nigeria-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (NCSP).
The discussions explored opportunities in agriculture, manufacturing, technology, infrastructure, and human capital development, aligning with the agreement reached between President Bola Tinubu and President Xi Jinping at the 2024 Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing.
Governor Abiodun also held a meeting with Wang Xinsheng, Mayor of Rizhao, a coastal city in China known for its thriving port economy.
The talks focused on the development of the Olokola Deep Sea Port, which the governor described as critical to Ogun’s future as Nigeria’s leading industrial and maritime hub.
He noted that Rizhao’s expertise in port management and logistics could bring world-class technical knowledge and investment to the project.
Beyond business, Abiodun stressed the importance of cultural exchanges between Ogun and Rizhao to deepen mutual understanding and open opportunities in education and tourism.
“The meeting with Mayor Wang Xinsheng is another milestone in Ogun State’s international investment drive, reinforcing the state’s attractiveness as a preferred destination for global partnerships,” the governor said.
