The Osun State government has secured investments totaling $100 million from a group of United Kingdom-based investors.
The investment deals, covering agriculture, water, tourism, and the free trade zone, were secured during a recent trip to the United Kingdom by State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who attended the 2025 Commonwealth Business Investment Conference.
This was announced in a statement issued by the State Governor’s spokesperson, Rasheed Olawale, on Wednesday.
Olawale further revealed that the investment facilitation MOU was signed in the presence of the UK Prime Minister’s trade envoy.
He explained, “The attendance at the 2025 Commonwealth Business Investment Conference was tailored with specific goals and targets. One of the key objectives was for the Governor to update the investment community about Osun’s infrastructure upgrades and the implementation of enhanced ease of doing business.”
He added, “Another key goal was to establish an official investment link with the United Kingdom through the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Nigeria. Naturally, the public’s primary interest is the amount of investment secured from such trips.”
Osun’s investment climate was presented to stakeholders with specific reference to a unified tax system aimed at eliminating multiple taxation, a 45-day window for processing Certificates of Occupancy, and a one-stop shop for investment processing, among other initiatives.
The revival of Osun’s Free Trade Zone was showcased, highlighting opportunities for UK and European businesses interested in the free trade zone model.
The state’s infrastructure deficit was also addressed, with a 45 percent reduction already achieved and expectations to reduce it further by nearly 75 percent in 2025, including improvements to roads, bridges, and health and social facilities. This was met with enthusiasm from the business community.
A formal investment facilitation framework was established through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the ESG Consulting group, which will work with the UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy and engage with the investing community on several opportunities in Osun.
The $100 million in investment deals was secured with a group of investors who attended the signing of the investment facilitation MOU in the presence of UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy, Hon. Florence Eshalomi. The investment areas include agriculture, water, tourism, and the Free Trade Zone.
An investment collaboration framework was also agreed upon with the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce and Industry during the chamber’s trade mission.
In partnership with the Osun State Chamber of Commerce and Industry, this relationship aims to create a tripartite working framework among the binational chamber, the state government, and the UK Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
A partnership deal was also finalized with the British Museum on cultural tourism, focusing on Osun’s cultural assets and the confirmed strong links between the Museum and Ile-Ife, the cradle of the Yoruba nation.
Additionally, a new framework was established for digitizing cultural assets in collaboration with the British Museum.
Finally, multiple hosting and briefing sessions were conducted with Osun indigenes to discuss the state of governance, providing two full days of feedback and brainstorming on governance ideas.
