By Dayo Johnson
AKURE — Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has announced plans to acquire shares in the Dangote Group for 500 young entrepreneurs in the state as part of efforts to promote wealth creation and financial inclusion among youths.
Aiyedatiwa disclosed this at the 2026 ONDEA Entrepreneurs Summit in Akure, where he said the beneficiaries would be selected from young entrepreneurs participating in the state’s enterprise development programmes.
He said the initiative would give the beneficiaries an ownership stake in one of Africa’s major indigenous business groups while exposing them to capital market investment.
The governor also launched the Lucky Light Initiative, which he said would provide solar power support to 1,000 small businesses across the state’s 18 local government areas.
He clarified that the initiative was designed specifically as a business support intervention and not a household electrification programme.
Aiyedatiwa further announced an N80 million grant for 20 entrepreneurs selected under the ONDEA My IDEA programme, with each beneficiary receiving N4 million.
He said the beneficiaries would also receive mentorship, business support services and opportunities for foreign business exposure.
According to the governor, the initiatives were part of his administration’s efforts to transform Ondo from a predominantly civil service economy into an entrepreneurship and innovation-driven state.
“Our goal is to move beyond producing raw materials to processing, packaging, branding and exporting finished products for local and global markets,” he said.
The summit was themed, “Positioning Entrepreneurs for Emerging Opportunities.”
In his keynote address, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, represented by his Special Adviser, Toba Oyedele, said entrepreneurs were critical to achieving Nigeria’s $1 trillion economy target by 2030.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Investment, Dr Summy Smart Francis, said the My IDEA initiative received more than 2,703 applications.
He said 20 winners emerged after undergoing three stages of screening.
Also speaking, media entrepreneur and former TVC Entertainment boss, Morayo Afolabi-Brown, urged investors to look beyond Lagos and explore business opportunities across the South-West.
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