By Soliu Owoyabu, Abeokuta
The CEO of Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited, Ambassador (Dr.) Babatunde Adeyemo has admonished the indigens of Ogun State to make use of the advantages in Real estate, saying that it is explorable.
Dr. Adeyemo stated this on Monday at the Canada Trade Mission ’24 (pre-Conference Abeokuta 2023) held at June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta the state capital.
Dr. Adeyemo who is the Guest Speaker at the event, while enlighten the participants on the benefits in real estate, disclosed how the state government can generate more revenue from it.
He revealed what God has used the real estate to do in his life and the secret behind his relevance in the business,both locally and internationally.
“As we want to export Adire, we might not really know that real estate is one of the areas that is really explorable and exportable in Ogun State. Real estate is something that people can also take advantage of and export to bring more development to ogun State and Nigeria in general. For example in Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited, we have been able to attract about 1000 Nigerians in diaspora directly, one of them is the convener of this event who is bringing marvelous Development to Ogun State. Imagine what other 999 could do to add value to Ogun State and Nigeria in general.
“It is very important that as we are taking advantages of Adire, we should be able to take advantages of real estate sector because all these people we are bringing in, they will be dragged in to Tax net in Ogun State. Adire is just one out of areas we can attract investment to Nigeria. We can always build in real estate to attract investors to build our foreign direct investment and foreign exchange. The Nigerians in diaspora will come home to settle down with Dollars.
“This is an avenue for you to see, live, those who have invested in Real estate,successfully and willing to exhibit it to enlighten and motivate others, which I’m one of them. God gave me the privilege to start real estate without anything and also given us the opportunity to be known in Ogun, Nigeria and globally; so you too can start it without huge amount of money. I started this business with 2M Naira about 13years ago but to the glory of God with our value of our investment, we are fast becoming a house hold name.
“If you want to start real estate investment you must do it with integrity. Integrity is what built name for Pelican. We always get government approval and put all the necessary amenities on any of our land/estate before we push our products. Nigerians in Diaspora got to know me through Internet, and they saw integrity in us, they bought lands from us. I have sold land to many Nigerians in diaspora without been there before. Due to my integrity, Nigerians in diaspora have prepared 10 years Canada Visa for me,sameas the UnitedKingdom, and they have also invited me to other countries. I have never for once involved in fraudulent act in this business.
Meanwhile in his Goodwill message, the former President of Nigeria and the chairman of the occasion, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo berated Nigerians for not have regard for the local products.
Obasanjo highlighted what government can do to bring the glory of Adire back to limelight, Insisting that they should prohibit the foreign products of Adire, and charged the stakeholders to table their request before the government.
He however, hinted the stakeholders on what they can do so that the foreign products will not overshadowed the local products.
“While commending the ogun state government on the construction of Adire Market at Itoku, he said they need to do more, so people can have interest in the production of Adire, adding that unavailability of the materials for the production of Adire in Nigeria is also one the factor that Affecting Adire negatively.
“People are saying China want to bastardise our Adire product, it is not their fault, we are the one that do not value what we have. I want to commend Ogun State government for the initiative of Oja Itoku for Adire market. It is good but not good enough if we don’t have Adire sellers in the market.
“The clothes for the production of Adire is in Nigeria before which they used to buy it in Kano, Kaduna and Ado-Ekiti but there is nothing like that anymore. If we want to produce Adire, where would we get the clothes to produce it?
“The first thing the government need to do for us is the revival of Textile industry, let us beg them to do that for us. Second one is the formal training institution where people will be learning how to produce Adire and get certified at the end of the period of their learning.
“Let us beg government to do all their possible best to protect our local production of Adire so that Chinese will not have access to bastardise it for us. Government should ban the importation of Chinese Adire and not only for Adire alone but all other things we produce in Nigeria.
“Government just lifted ban on the importation of Rice with Dollars, so those of you the Rice farmers should be ready for challenges because the cheapest Rice will soon be imported from Thailand. Thailand government has invested alot of Money in to Rice Farming for massive exportation to bastardise Nigeria Rice.
“I want to urge you not to only rely on the Adire sellers Association alone, let join hand with those who promote Adire and other stakeholders to join hands together and have an Association that will be named as ‘Adire Association’ with chapters where Abeokuta will be the Headquarters and I’m ready to devote myself as the patron of the Association.