Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Ondo State is positioning itself as a regional industrial and energy hub, leveraging its natural resources, strategic location, and federal support to drive economic growth, according to Olu Arowolo Verheijen, Special Adviser to the President on Energy.
Speaking at the 50th-anniversary public lecture in Akure recently, Verheijen highlighted the State’s resource endowment, including cocoa, timber, palm oil, bitumen, rubber, limestone, and gas infrastructure, as critical to creating jobs, generating revenue, and boosting industrialization.
“Ondo State underpins Nigeria’s agricultural and industrial existence. Our cocoa fields earn foreign exchange, timber supports local manufacturing, and bitumen builds highways connecting millions of Nigerians to livelihoods,” Verheijen said.
The adviser noted that Ondo’s gas infrastructure, coupled with the revival of the Odigbo power plant and modular LNG projects, makes the State uniquely positioned to power industrial growth.
“There is simply no reason Ondo State should know darkness,” he said.
Highlighting federal support, Verheijen pointed to major projects including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Akure-Ore dual carriageway, and the Ondo Deep Sea Port at Araromi, which he described as “West Africa’s deepest port” and a potential gateway for trade and investment.
Verheijen also stressed the importance of value addition in Ondo’s resource sectors.
“Our cocoa, timber, palm oil, bitumen, and hydrocarbons must not continue to leave the State in raw form. Value addition is how we create jobs, deepen industrial activity, and raise incomes,” he said.
The adviser acknowledged Ondo’s human capital, highlighting the contributions of women and local leaders to public service, culture, and business.
“Ondo women have consistently shaped history, not from the margins, but from the centre,” he said.
Ondo’s strategic location, straddling the South-West and South-South geopolitical zones, also offers opportunities for regional integration and industrial clustering.
“We are linking agricultural and industrial activity with energy infrastructure to secure inclusive growth and prosperity,” Verheijen added.
As the State marks five decades, the message was clear: Ondo aims to transform its natural and energy resources into sustainable economic development.
“If we unite vision with discipline, ambition with integrity, and heritage with innovation, Ondo can become a powerhouse for the next generation,” Verheijen concluded.
