Oyo State government, on Tuesday, reiterated its readiness to partner MAX.NG/YAMAHA Corporation, Japan to develop the transport sector in the state.
The governor, who hosted the management of the MAX.NG/YAMAHA Corporation, Japan at the Head of Service, Conference Room, Secretariat, Ibadan, said the company’s vision and mission were in tandem with the vision and dream of the state.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that the governor was represented by the Secretary to the Government, Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun.
He noted that the present administration in the state is doing a lot across different sectors and will continue to explore opportunities wherever it can come from in order to develop the economy of the state.
He said: “A lot of what you are doing definitely resonates with our vision and dream in Oyo State. There are four main pillars we are pursuing and I can see that the summary of what you are doing can key into the pillars as we are looking at Health, Education, Economic Expansion through Agribusiness and on top of all that is Security. We must secure our land to ensure that investors like you are safe.
“Congratulations on the Assembly Plant that you launched today and I wish you all the best. I am also glad you have had a good time with all the government officials you have met in the state. If there is an issue as you expand your business in Oyo State, feel free to approach me or other government officials that you have met.
“As you rightly said, we are a Pacesetter state and we mean business. So, there is a lot that we are doing across different sectors in line with our vision and priorities and we will continue to explore opportunities of where we can do more.”
The governor explained that recently the government commissioned the Ultra-Modern Okada and Tricycle loading points to facilitate easy transportation of residents in the state capital and to boost transportation sector.
“Even in the transportation sector, around last week, we launched motorcycles and tricycles loading points, which is a pilot scheme. We understand that we need them today as a vital part of our transportation, but how do we organise them? How do we get data? How do we make it safe and secure so that it can become what people can admire?
“That is the pilot scheme and if it works well, we will be extending it to other parts of the city and other parts of the state entirely.
“I also heard you talk about electric cars. This is exciting, because even if we keep dreaming that Nigeria has plenty of fuel, oil, fossil and all that, we will continue to drive on the path we are and the world is going to leave us behind.
“So, we look forward to partnering with you in so many areas as you expand your business in Oyo State,” he said.
Earlier, the Executive Assistant to the governor on Administration, Rev. Idowu Ogedengbe, had on behalf of Governor Makinde commissioned the assembly plant of the company, which it said would be the basis for the future production of all the various innovative products the company will be bringing into Oyo State.
While speaking at the commissioning, Ogedengbe said: “This is a means through which our young people will be gainfully employed. The company will be giving the tricycles and three-wheelers to willing employees or business persons at virtually no cost. What they only need is to get a good recommendation.
“You will recall that the governor, a few days back, commissioned the ultra-modern park for tricycles and motorcycles at Agodi and, for us, we are mindful of developing the modern transportation sector.
“We know that, globally, tricycles and motorcycles are means of transportation. So, rather than ban them in Oyo State, we want to see how we can integrate them into our system in a way that will be efficient and globally acceptable.
“When Max.NG came to make a proposal to His Excellency that they would like to partner with us to ensure that as the government is expanding the infrastructure in the transport space, they are also bringing in the modern transport equipment to support the aspiration of the government.
“They are starting with tricycles, three-wheelers, and motorcycles.You come, pick your tricycle and pay over a period of 18 months. You pay at your convenience; from Mondays to Fridays and people don’t even need to pay on weekends.
“So, you can see that their system is quite accommodating, as they also have different strategies in terms of taking care of the health care of their beneficiaries.”
In his comments, the co-founder of MAX.NG, Mr Adetayo Bamiduro, said that the company has plans for the state in the area of financial inclusion, mobility transportation, logistics, identity management, data and mobile application development for the progress and economic development of the state.
