The Ibadan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) has performed the sod-turning/foundation-laying ceremony of the construction of its office annexe.
At the ceremony, which took place at ICCI Commerce House, Ring Road, Ibadan on Thursday, July 7, the President, ICCI, Arch. Bamidele Samson, said the N250 million project was embarked upon following the need to further improve the operations of the Chamber.
“Ibadan Chamber of Commerce came into being in 1960. About 1985, the place where we are now was acquired by the Chamber. It was a residential building converted to Chamber Office with the Boy’s Quarters rented out for the maintenance of this office.
“After so many years of usage, it dawned on the Chamber to construct a befitting office annexe, the foundation of which we are all privileged to witness today.
“This is a big project costing about N250 million. It is envisaged that this project will be commissioned by the grace of God before the expiration of this administration,” Arch. Samson said.
The Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, who was represented at the event by the Commissioner for Trade, Industry, Investment and Cooperatives, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, said his administration is committed to providing support to the growth and development of businesses in the state through infrastructural facilities and business-friendly policies.
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He said to this end, the government approved the composition of members of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) Council as well as the Nigeria Export Promotion Council to support private sector growth.
“Economies of states, countries and anywhere in the world are better driven by the private sector and that is why the Oyo State government is very pleased with the activities of Ibadan Chamber of Commerce, Oyo State Chamber of Commerce, Odu’aCCIMA and private Non-Governmental Organisations promoting businesses here.
“On our part, we will continue to give support to businessmen and women here. There are a lot of things that we are doing here that most people may not be paying attention to but it is actually helping the growth of businesses generally. Today, in Oyo State and here in Ibadan for example, you can be outside your home till 10-11 pm because we have the Light-up Oyo State project. All the major roads are lit at night and if you go to markets, you will market women and men there till 11 pm.
“Not only that, in minutes, any sound of alarm or crisis, you will see Amotekun there. The fact that we have operatives like Amotekun to protect our people is enough to scare off criminals in our midst. These are things that the government is doing to support businesses here in Oyo State,” he said.
While presenting details of the project, the project architect, Abdulatif Majolagbe, said the proposed three-floor office annexe would comprise a parking lot, reception, Chamber executives’ offices, boardroom and event hall.
In their separate speeches, Asiwaju of Ibadanland and Honorary Life Vice President, ICCI, Chief Olabode Amao; Honorary Life Vice President, past president/Honorary Life Vice President, ICCI, Iyalode Adeola Omotosho; President, Oyo State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Chief Wole Akinwande; President of Odu’a Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines, Prince Kayode Adeyemi and Agriculture and presidents of other chamber movements in attendance hailed the Chamber’s executives for the foresight to have embarked on the project and called for more support for the completion of the project.
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