By Adelakun Adeleke and Afolaranmi Damilare
The 2025 Osun Trade Fair opened with a strong focus on industrial growth and enhanced value creation as the Osun State Government, the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), private-sector leaders, and stakeholders gathered to chart a path for strengthening local industries.
In his welcome address, Honourable Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Rev. Dr. Bunmi Jenyo commended participants and dignitaries, including Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, represented by Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Teslim Igbalaye. He described the fair as an annual platform showcasing Osun’s resilience, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit. Highlighting reforms under Governor Adeleke’s leadership, he emphasized the government’s commitment to creating a business-friendly environment, expanding MSME access to finance and markets, and enhancing value-chain development, assuring investors that “Osun is open for business.”
Officially opening the fair, Alhaji Igbalaye conveyed the Governor’s support for strengthening local production for global competitiveness. He detailed efforts to establish industrial clusters and agro-processing zones, promote youth digital-skills through the Osun Tech Innovations Program, and collaborate with OSUCCIMA and private-sector partners to expand export opportunities, underscoring the administration’s commitment to an enabling environment for Osun-made products.
Representing RMRDC Director-General Professor Martins Ike-Muonso Nnayelugo, Dr. Edith Chima Obi highlighted the Council’s role in promoting raw-material transformation and emphasised on the proposed Value-Addition Bill, which mandates at least 30% processing of raw materials before export. She encouraged stakeholders to leverage the fair to increase innovation, processing, and global competitiveness.
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Mrs. Vivian O. Chindah, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, delivered a goodwill message stressing federal initiative such as the AfCFTA, NEPC export-readiness programs, SON standardization efforts, financing schemes via BOI and SMEDAN, and reforms to ease business operations. She urged Osun entrepreneurs to seize these opportunities, noting that the next global industry leader could emerge from the state.
In the keynote address, Dr. Adebayo Jimoh, President of ODUACCIMA, outlined Osun’s potential in agriculture, mining, textiles, and tourism, while calling for mini-processing plants, improved energy access, investor attraction, and multi-sector collaboration. He stressed adherence to environmental standards and investment in value-added chains to unlock the state’s economic potential.
Closing the ceremony, Dr. David Awotipe, Chairman of the Planning Committee, praised the successful opening and urged exhibitors to forge partnerships, improve production standards, and adopt export-oriented strategies, emphasizing that the fair’s theme requires action toward innovation, value addition, and global competitiveness.
The trade fair continues with optimism that collaborations between government, RMRDC, and private-sector stakeholders will drive industrial growth, enhance value chains, and position Osun as a competitive hub for local and global markets.
