UAE pledges to boost Osun State’s economy as Oyetola meets envoy

United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the weekend offered to partner with Osun State to boost its economy.

A deal is being worked out following a meeting in Abuja of Governor Gboyega Oyetola and Ambassador Fahad Al Taffaq.

The envoy, who hosted the governor, promised to support the state’s dry sea port, its agriculture development plans and to explore “further ways to support the state in the short, medium and long term.”

Al Taffaq promised to visit the state next month to assess its economic advantages, adding: “We want to see how we can add value to our peoples.”

He invited Osun to next year’s Dubai Investment Forum, “which is biggest investment event in Dubai attended by major investors worldwide.”

Disclosing that 30 businessmen from UAE would be visiting Nigeria soon, the envoy described gold trade as the biggest business between Nigeria and UAE.

According to him, majority of gold in UAE comes from Nigeria.

Governor Oyetola told Al Taffaq that “Osun has gold in abundance and looking to partner with investors to see that the gold deposit translates to the economic advantage” of the state and its people.

He called for support in the area of agriculture, as Osun is an agrarian state.