The Ogun State government has formalized a partnership with the Confederation of General Employers of Morocco through a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at collaborating on power generation and distribution, education, housing, infrastructure, and port development.
A statement on Wednesday confirmed that Governor, Dapo Abiodun, signed on behalf of Ogun State, while Mr. Ali Zerouali represented the Moroccan team.
Speaking at the event, Abiodun praised Morocco’s advancements in education, technology, manufacturing, and agriculture, emphasizing that Ogun State stands to gain from the partnership.
The agreement covers key areas such as power generation, housing, infrastructure, and port development.
Governor Abiodun stated that Morocco provides a 30 percent subsidy to attract investors, has signed 60 trade agreements worldwide, and is a leader in solar energy.
He noted that Morocco has moved from importing to exporting electric vehicles to Europe and now manufactures parts for aircraft makers.
Abiodun emphasized that Morocco’s success story would be replicated in Nigeria with the Confederation of General Employers of Morocco setting up operations in Ogun State.
He said, “We hope that in our partnership we can unlock all the potential and maximise it. We want to learn from you how you perfected hydro, solar, and gas energy, presenting the right mix that, of course, brings down the cost of energy.
“We identified agriculture, agribusiness, and agricultural technology, in which you are very advanced. Morocco today is the largest producer of fertilizer on the continent and one of the biggest exporters of fertilizer. I recall that you were informed of the plan to establish a massive fertilizer plant in Nigeria. We hope that we can bring that plant to Ogun State.
“Being an industrial state, we discussed manufacturing and industrial development, in which you’ve excelled. How do we partner? How do we learn from you so we are not starting from scratch? How do we develop technology together? How do we collaborate with companies in Morocco to bring the automobile industry to Ogun State, where we know that from here, you can easily ship vehicles to all other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa?”
He highlighted that Ogun State’s Special Economic Zone at the Gateway International Airport would serve as a Free Trade Zone.
He stressed the importance of partnerships for technology transfer and collaboration to attract manufacturing and agricultural companies to the state.
Abiodun stated that the state’s “Light Up Ogun Project” requires around 6,000 to 7,000 megawatts to meet the energy needs of its numerous industries.
“We have issues with generation capacity, we have issues with efficient and effective distribution, we have issues with transmission, and we know that you have succeeded in that area in Morocco.
“We discussed how we can collaborate to ensure we generate enough electricity for the state under our Light Up Ogun Project,” he added.
He expressed his administration’s commitment to partnering with Morocco in technical and vocational education by strengthening existing technical colleges to train Nigerian graduates and drive an economic revolution similar to Morocco’s.
On infrastructure, he emphasized the importance of extending the Lagos Blue Line into Ogun State, noting that the state has already secured approval for the project.
“Ogun State has a designated port area called Olokola, which is meant to be the deepest seaport in Nigeria. The desire to construct the port has been present for quite some time, and we would like to see this happening under our watch, even if it is a temporary berth port in the meantime,” he added.
Zerouali affirmed his organization’s readiness to collaborate with Ogun State in the automobile and agro-food industries, as well as the education sector, believing it would further strengthen their cordial relationship and partnership.
