OSOPADEC SEEKS STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS TO BOOST DEVELOPMENT IN ILAJE
The Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) has called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, financial institutions, private investors and development organisations to accelerate sustainable development in Ilaje and other oil-producing communities.
The Executive Chairman of OSOPADEC, Prince Olabiyi Olaleye Poroye, made the call during an engagement with the Board of Trustees of the Ugbo-Land Host Communities Development Trust (UHCDT) at the commission’s headquarters in Oba-Ile.
Poroye said the scale of development required in the riverine communities made it necessary for the commission to explore alternative funding sources and establish strategic partnerships beyond government allocations.
He explained that OSOPADEC had embarked on significant institutional reforms to strengthen its operational capacity, improve efficiency and position itself to attract credible local and international development partners.
According to him, the commission has expanded its organisational structure and strengthened its administrative systems to meet the standards required by international development organisations.
The OSOPADEC chairman identified infrastructure, education, water supply and human capital development as priority areas, citing the ongoing Aboto-Atijere Road project, township roads, concrete walkways, jetties and other interventions across the commission’s mandate areas.
He also disclosed that OSOPADEC was preparing another round of bursary assistance alongside an expanded scholarship programme to support professionals from the mandate areas seeking specialised training and further education.
On economic sustainability, Poroye said the commission was pursuing investment opportunities capable of generating sustainable revenue and reducing its dependence on government funding.
“We must invest today. This is not simply about what government can give us today; it is about building a system that can continue to support our people tomorrow,” he said.
The chairman further revealed that OSOPADEC had pursued international engagements, including visits to China and Ghana, to explore development models, investment opportunities and partnerships that could unlock the economic potential of its mandate areas.
He added that the commission was strengthening its engagement on climate change and environmental development to attract international attention to the peculiar challenges facing riverine communities in the Niger Delta.
In his response, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ugbo-Land Host Communities Development Trust, Sir Benson Obayelu, commended Poroye for his leadership and efforts to attract investors and development partners to the oil-producing communities.
Obayelu advocated stronger collaboration among OSOPADEC, government agencies, financial institutions, private investors, development organisations and host communities, stressing that no single institution could provide all the resources required for sustainable development.
Similarly, a former Clerk of the National Assembly, Prince Oluyemi Ogunyemi, praised the commission’s efforts to strengthen its institutional capacity and attract international partnerships.
He called for increased private-sector participation in infrastructure, transportation, energy and other emerging sectors to accelerate economic growth and improve living standards in the mandate areas.
A representative of Chevron Nigeria Limited, Joshua Adeyemi, described the engagement as encouraging, emphasising that trust, transparency and accountability were essential to building successful partnerships and achieving sustainable development.
Also speaking, the Business Executive, Southwest, Sterling Bank Nigeria, Abdulrazak Abolarin, underscored the importance of financial-sector participation in development initiatives.
He noted that banks and other financial institutions could play a significant role in transforming viable development ideas into sustainable projects capable of delivering long-term benefits to host communities.
In his vote of thanks, the Permanent Secretary of OSOPADEC, Mr F. A. Omomowo, described the engagement as strategic and reaffirmed the commission’s readiness to support genuine partnerships that would translate into tangible development outcomes for the people of the oil-rich region.
