The Osun State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture has called on business owners to make use of incentives, programmes and policies introduced by the state government to expand their operations. The First Vice President of OSUCCIMA, Olugbenga Olateru, made the appeal on Tuesday in Osogbo during the launch of the prospectus for the 2026 Osun State Trade Fair. He said the government had put several support measures in place and that citizens needed to seize the opportunities on offer.
Olateru, who chairs the trade fair planning committee, acknowledged that while the government could improve in some areas, the chamber remained committed to the success of both the public and private sectors. He noted that the private sector sometimes misunderstood or understated what government policies were intended to achieve. The chamber would continue to offer useful ideas for improvement, he added, but operators needed to take fuller advantage of existing support.
The 2026 Osun State Trade Fair will operate under the theme "Enhancing Public-Private Partnerships Through Circular Economy for Sustainable Growth," a choice meant to reflect the state's agricultural strengths, favourable climate, fertile soil and farming communities. Olateru said the fair would stimulate trade, attract investment, strengthen local enterprises and promote sustainable economic development. He called on investors, entrepreneurs, farmers, agro-processors, financial institutions and other stakeholders to use the event to unlock the state's agricultural potential through public-private partnerships and circular economy principles.
Olateru stressed that government alone could not drive economic growth and that private sector operators needed an enabling environment to thrive, making such partnerships essential. Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke had previously pledged stronger government support for business owners and assured investors that his administration would work to remove barriers to the acceptance and expansion of their products and services within the state and beyond.