Mr Vincente Fox

Abeokuta – A former president of Mexico, Mr Vincente Fox, on Wednesday said Nigerian leaders must develop passion and innovation to move the nation to an enviable height.

Fox made the call in Abeokuta as keynote speaker at the Ogun Investors Forum which had as theme: “Agriculture and Urban Development.”

He said that Nigeria needed to chart a road map to start a journey that would re-position it at a higher pedestal.

Fox, who noted that Nigeria was endowed with natural resources that made for greatness, urged its leaders to exploit the potentials for the good of the people.

The former Mexican president advised Nigerian leaders to employ the right technology to harness the agricultural potentials of the country.

“Agriculture can help countries move to the next stage. It is only through the improvement of the economy that countries can move to the next level,” he said.

Fox also urged Nigerian leaders to partner with other world leaders and tap from their expertise.

Earlier, Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun said the state had been recipient of investments worth over 7.3 bn dollars (N1.21trn).

“Forty-six industries have established businesses in Ogun in the last two years and more than 30 other firms are at various stages of completion.

“This development can be attributed to the creation of an enabling environment in Ogun which made the state an investment destination of choice,” he said.

Amosun said that his administration had also allocated over 200,000 hectares of land to willing investors in agriculture at minimal cost.

He added that the state was also collaborating with host communities to make more agricultural land available for large scale commercial farming.

“Let me say that we are ambitious, determined and forward-looking in our developmental programmes and projects.

“We are focused on preparing our people and our state for the future.

“To maximise the potential of our agricultural value chain, we have targeted massive investment in infrastructural development and improvement in the quality of life of our citizens.

“Deliberately, we have begun an irreversible process of erecting modern facilities in our rural agri-business centres,” he said.

Amosun said Ogun, with its rich natural resources, was one state that would play a pivotal role in the future development of Nigeria and Africa.

– NAN