Mrs Patricia Omotomilola-Osunde has been installed as the 22nd president of the Ibadan Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ICCI).
The investiture ceremony took place shortly after the 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the chamber, which was held on Thursday at the Chamber House, Ibadan, Oyo State.
In her address, Mrs Omotomilola-Osunde expressed commitment to build on the legacy of the founding fathers and past leaders of the chamber, to prioritise the completion of the chamber’s office annex, growing the chamber’s members through helping their businesses to grow, resuscitating trade relationships with other countries, among others.
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She said, “We will, of necessity, have a research/development club whose responsibility will be to research into new areas of business development, bringing such to the notice of the chamber and letting members who are interested or are already in such businesses to utilise the advantage of such research findings to grow their businesses.
“We will embark on a rigorous, persistent and relentless recruitment of identifies successful entrepreneurs in all fields of trading, manufacturing, mining and export, especially the youth. We will give all necessary impetus to the existing trade groups to break new grounds and make them function optimally to the benefit of the chamber and the chamber members.
“With proven interest, we will approach the government of Oyo State for land for farming our products, whether for sale locally or for exports. That will lead to being able to access farm implements such as tractors, ploughs, planters and harvesters. It will also afford the possibility and ability to access funds from anchor lenders and outsourcers. The African market is growing and yearning for Nigerian products either as raw, semi-processed or fully processed.
“We may need to establish a few more co-operative societies within the chamber. The trend all over the world is that funding agents prefer to lend to co-operative bodies and not so much for individuals.”
In his report for the year 2023, the immediate past president of the chamber, Architect Bamidele Samson, said the his administration focused on completing the first phase of the chamber’s office annex, which include foundation-laying, building and roofing, creating awareness about the activities of the chamber, maintaining cordial and fruitful relationship with the government, organisations and other chambers, review of the chamber’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, among others.
At the AGM, the chamber’s financial statements and external auditors reports were presented and adopted, while nine new members were inducted into the chamber.
Chairman on the occasion and a former Secretary to the Ekiti State Government, Ambassador Dare Bejide, in his speech, lauded the qualities of the new president, saying, “As a member of the Ekiti State Executive Council, between 2007 and 2009, she was extremely active, resourceful and vocal. She was fondly called ‘Mama Exco’ because of her leadership role in the cabinet.
TheWitness
