The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyete Enitan Ogunwusi‎ and SpringPort Technological Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build a technology, media city and agriculture incubation hub in Ile-Ife, Osun State.

Indeed, the investment is coming barely two weeks to the return of the Ooni from United States of America, where the monarch solicited support of Africans in diaspora on developmental projects in agriculture, tourism and youth empowerment.

With the MoU, the technological hub worth about $1.4billion in its first phase is expected to facilitate massive employment of youths in Ile-Ife.
While signing the MoU, the Ooni expressed optimism that the project would span development across Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria and Africa at large.

He noted that the America-based firm partnership with House of Oduduwa was sealed to ensure the success of the project.

His words: “The initiative is an encouraging one and I urge the team not to relent. When I visited the USA, I met Nigerians and told them that people built USA, it did not just develop. Just like the US citizens built America, I am glad that some Nigerians in the diaspora are also keen to the development of their mother land.

“I am totally in support of the project. I have never started a project without completing it and I hope this will be completed within the stipulated time. We don’t want this to be a typical project that will start and won’t end and because of that we need to sign the MoU today. We will also be fulfilling a larger part of what is expected of us by making available the required land.”

Speaking during the signing of the MoU. President of Image Consulting
Group, Mrs Remi Duyile, said the project was in response to the call by the Ooni during his visit to the US and to show that Nigerians in diaspora were ready to invest in their country.

She said her company was convinced to create the synergy between the Ooni and the America-based firm when the King visited United State of America.

“We are ready to invest in Nigerians youth talent. The only the challenge is that many Nigerian leaders block most of us in the diaspora from contributing to the development of the country”, she added.

A representative of the America-based firm, ‎Muyiwa Onitilo, said that similar initiative helped India to generate over eight million jobs.

He said the hub is projected to create employment for 1000 youths in its first phase in Ile-Ife and Osun State.

In a presentation, Onitilo said: “The project will deliver a modern and progressive Ile-Ife with a strong real estate, technology and infrastructure backbone. It will deliver a master planned community that will allow residents to increase their productivity.

“Sixty per cent of those that will be employed are indigenes of the host community. This is an initiative to improve the home”, he said.

Another member of the team, Victory Oluwasegun noted that the hub would transform the ancient city to a world class place.

He said: “Our plan is that immediately the students are leaving secondary school, they enrol and grow with technology. We want our system to be familiar with technology and we will be doing that in recognition of distinct features and historical figures.

“We developed it with a solution that caters for poor maintenance culture. With the technological hub, we will be able to advance the uniqueness of Ile-Ife to a world brand.”