Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, arrived at Muritala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, on Wednesday, after a working visit to the United States of America.
He was received by government officials and is scheduled to attend meetings in Lagos and Abuja in the coming days, News About Nigeria reports.
During his trip, Governor Oyebanji engaged in extensive discussions with heads of governments, institutions, business leaders, and development partners to explore investment opportunities for the state’s power infrastructure, Special Agriculture Processing Zone, and Ekiti Knowledge Zone, among others, a statement by the state government said.
He also participated in the US-Africa Business Summit and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with CAVISTA Holdings for a multi-billion naira 100,000 hectares cassava farm in the state.
Recall that the governor’s failure to return to Nigeria after the summit sparked rumours, with some sources claiming that the trip was a “jamboree” that cost the state over $500,000.
According to reports, the governor travelled with over 20 people, and the trip was unnecessary since the project had already been awarded and concluded in Nigeria.
The Special Adviser (Media) to the Governor, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, however, disputed these rumours in a press statement, stating that the governor’s trip was a successful working visit aimed at exploring investment opportunities for the state.
“In line with the transparency and accountability policy of the administration, all local and international engagements and trips of the Governor have always been made public. And this current one is not an exception.
It is on record that the current US trip of the Governor is the first outside the Continent since assuming office on October 16, 2022. The first trip outside the country was a UNDP-sponsored induction programme for Governors held in Kigali; followed by the Afrexim Meeting in Cairo, where the state got very significant infrastructure support from the bank,” he said.
Governor Oyebanji left Nigeria on Sunday, May 5, 2024, to attend the 16th edition of the US-Africa Business Summit in Dallas, Texas, which took place between May 6 and 9, 2024.
