Ondo State is revered when it comes to education and intellectualism in Nigeria, many persons do think this in the area of Academic intellectuals, Ph.D and Professors, that’s not complete. We have enormous intellectuals and technocrats in different professional who have risen to the peak, with wide exposures and distinct ability of accurate forecasts and economic planning and implementations. One of these rare personalities is Prince Nekan Olateru-Olagbegi. Stars cannot be hidden even while he still serves as the Coordinator of Public Private Partnership in the present administration of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, large numbers of persons have started mouthing it that only persons with creative exceptionally like Prince Nekan can continue the pace of development already set by Dr. Olusegun Mimiko.
The Owo Prince who studied in the 70’s in the United States of America, lived, worked and established businesses in the United States over a period of 25 years with exceptional records. He had his elementary school in Owo, had his High school education in both Ibadan and Akure, represented Ondo State in so many Tennis events while he was in high school before advancing to the United States for University Education, with Sports and Academic Scholarship, Prince Nekan completed his Masters degree programme in Accountancy, worked with high profiled firms in the United States like Price Waterhouse Coopers (a financial consulting firm) and Arthur Anderson as an accountant and a consultant etc before setting up his own personal consulting firm, Conet Consulting Inc. in Atlanta Georgia where he resided for many years.
If personal accomplishments and contentment is the hallmark of success, then Prince Nekan Olateru-Olagbegi already has it all, but he always has this burden on his heart, the burden of helping his people out of poverty and wants, which cannot be wholesomely accomplished by personal efforts alone, this craving is what has drafted Prince Nekan into the dicey ocean of Nigerian politics, to him, it has become inevitable if his people must put poverty and misery behind them.
Taking mentorship from Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, he acknowledges that he has numerous Nigerian Medical Doctors as friends in the United States that are doing so well in their professions but giving back home is very limited, but we all can see what Dr. Mimiko has been able to do lighten the burden of our people, rebranded Ondo State and created fresh prospects and hope, that’s how to give back to your people.
In an Interview with Jounalist recently he said these about his works as the Coordinator of the PPP Ondo State. “Working as the Coordinator of the Public Private
Partnership for just a little over 2 years now, we have brought to reality the Akure mall, that, we were able to broker for the State, and developers were able to do and deliver within cost and time, and I am glad that a lot of people are enjoying the facility today in Akure, and it is changing the landscape of Akure, even the night life of Akure, the entertainment life of Akure is gradually changing but that is about one of the smallest of the things we have achieved in the PPP. Now we have landed a deep seaport, the one that, once finalized with the federal government procedures, would be a hub for the entire west African coast, it is ILAJE DEEP SEA PORT and as we are now, it is getting towards final approval, and the promoters are ready, to raise the funds to do the developments. It is also tagged the mining port, it is a solution-port for the mining industry of Nigeria, so these are well thought innovative ways that we have managed to solve the Nigerian mining problems because we have looked at the fact that we have so many ports in Nigeria but just as you know in Ondo State, we always try to make a Statement with whatever we put our hands and our time in, we don’t want to develop just a seaport, we want to change the lives of our people, that will change the life of our Nationals, so that is what the seaport will represent. The Nigerian economy is talking about Mining and Agriculture but now even from our own end, we have provided solutions ahead of time, that by the you mine those minerals in the North Central especially the roads that we have is not motorable enough to bring all the Iron-ore, the Coal, the Granite and all other minerals to the Seaports, with railroads, you can easily and cost effectively bring it to the port, this is what this Mining port will be able to do, because we are constructing a railroad from Ilaje all the way to the Northern fringes of Ondo State and to Kogi Area and also we are doing a dualized road. From Ore to Ilaje, definitely it would open the entire southern Senatorial district of Ondo State, that is the deep sea port, of course, from the directorate also, my free trade zone directorate with Mr Governor. We have been able to get a license for a free trade zone, so now, other than Olokola free trade zone, we have our own exclusive Ondo State Free Trade Zone, which is in Ilaje, that port is well positioned for maritime activities. Today on my table, I have a good number of refinery proposals and by the time the free trade zone finally kicks off, it will be a super busy free trade zone, apart from that, we have the second largest deposit of Bitumen in the world, we could not take advantage of that, due to the fact that we the license we had for it was cancelled during the administration of Chief Adefarati, but it would interest you that with the hardwork of Mr Governor and with our directorate now, we have been able to get 4 licenses today to explore our Bitumen. I can remember a time an Investor came from California, another from Houston Texas, wanted to invest in bitumen but unfortunately we didn’t have the license but today that huddle is scaled. We now have Bacon, which is one of the Companies Ondo state government acquire to help manage the Bitumen processing, so today we are ready. Another thing is the Ifon ceramic industry which has been moribund for over 24 years, we have brought in expertise and we shall be coming out with tiles and other ceramic products with the PPP arrangements.”
Prince Nekan Olateru Olagbegi
With the PPP arrangement, Ondo State again has brokered a deal with an investor to do waste management, so there is now going to be an integrated waste management system, when it starts it comes with very unique features, it has an electronic waste management system. In the words of Prince Nekan “you can imagine that West Africa is more or less like an electronic dumping site for computers and electronics, we leave some of these things in the dump sites, the mercury, if the chemicals inside get into the water level, it would cause a lot of damage or it will even contaminate the water level, so now we are even thinking ahead, that we need to create a waste management for electronic wastes. There is nothing like that anywhere else in Nigeria, it is going to be the first one, we would create it and the neighboring states who may want to bring their electronic wastes to Ondo State, they will have to pay, we would do recycling of the electronic wastes, will also contain and dispose them, apart from that, Ondo State is going to even get bigger in the areas of health care because we have the medical village, you have these abiye program all over the state, and with the paucity of funds now, especially in dollars, we could provide alternative for Nigerians in the health Tourism, that means the wastes from medical activities will increase again, we are getting ready for it, we are working ahead of time to make sure that we have a waste management system that will cater for it, so that the medical wastes will not just be all over the dumping sites, this is a compound project as the process include the Production of Organic fertilizer from the wastes. The company will have their own assembly plants where they assemble their Trucks, tricycles etc yet Ondo State will still be getting money from this industry”
The PPP Coordinator gave update on the Cocoa revolution in Ondo State, we already have the Chocolate factory in Idanre where we can now use our Cocoa beans instead of exporting everything, more than that we have developed cocoa agriculture in Ondo State that you a framer can now sell to exporters without passing through middle men, with these they would have more profit and better motivations. these under two years in office. The list goes on and on. We believe that we need to create jobs for our teaming youths. It is all about jobs for these younger ones, and with all that we have laid down and with all that we have laid down, once it starts rolling, nobody will be able to beat Ondo state. There is no reason for anybody to be poor in Ondo state. The revenues of Ondo State will increase significantly, we would not be waiting for Abuja for money anymore.
Recently gatherings of large number of youths under the umbrella Sunshine Youth Forum tipped Prince Nekan Olateru-Olagbegi and one other aspirant as the most probable to have the ability to move Ondo state forward considering the standard already set by Dr. Mimiko. In his response, he appreciated the youth for their observations and being lively to their environment, he is also happy that his works also speak for him, working day and night to make sure that we industrialize Ondo state, working closely with Mr Governor to make sure that we bring many industries here is for no other reasons but for the youths because when Ondo state is able to do that, we will be able to create mire employment for our teaming youth so if that is the criteria they have tipped him, they also need to be appreciated for their depth and intuitiveness. Because the next level in Ondo State is the Industrialization of the state and his works in the last two years and going forward are strategic to that.
If they have tipped him also due to his impeccable character and unblemished personality, they have also thought it right. Righteousness they say, exalts a nation.
When asked how easy he thinks it will be if given the opportunity to serve as the governor of the state, come February 2017 he simply said “well, the Biggest assets that I will get as a successor of Dr. Mimiko, if given the opportunity is the fact that the man has already laid the foundation. The biggest problem is to be able to start up. Just as I have mentioned above and urban development mantra of the state already put in place, even with the paucity of funds, it is not too much of a difficult task, we only have to be creative and get innovative, knowing well that what God has blessed us in Ondo state in terms of human and natural resources and if we just look inwards, and we just use what we have, I am sure that the sky is our limits. In the areas of Forestry alone for example where I live in Atlanta Georgia, called Georgio specific. One of the top Corporations in the world, what it deals in is Forest products, they have been able to do paper, pulp, paints, different gazebos, construct roofing sheets, furnitures just from forest alone, these are the future will be bringing to Ondo State. In. I.T, there are enourmos outsourcing opportunities for our youth because we speak better English that Asians and Indians, yet they explore it.
There are more we can still add to the giant strides of Dr Olusegun Mimiko in Education and health that we brand Ondo state as that one stop destination for Sound and Competitive education, quality and reliable healthcare environment for all even beyond Nigeria, and we shall raise revenues for the Government especially from Non Indigenes which we can track that very conveniently with our exceptional Kaadi Igbe Ayo. Ondo state should be specially grateful to the emergence of Dr Olusegun Mimiko as a Governor here, I have lived decades in the United States so I can appreciate his commitments and creativity better, he is a super legend, if I have better adjective I would use for him, he indeed needs someone who can continue from where he is stopping and I qualify very well for that. My personal contacts and close relationships with leading global industries, especially in the United States having worked with them even as consultants will go a very long way to attract massive industrialization to Ondo State, trust works well in business.”
