The Founder and Group Managing Director of CapitalSage Holdings, John Alamu, has urged accelerated investment in agro-industrial ventures as a critical strategy for driving Ondo State’s economic transformation.

Speaking at the Ondo Investment Summit 2026, themed “The New Ondo: Forging the Pathway to Prosperity”, Alamu called on investors and policymakers to prioritize large-scale processing, manufacturing, and integrated value chains to unlock the state’s industrial potential.

Alamu said Ondo State already possesses the agricultural resources, strategic location, and skilled workforce to become a leading industrial hub. 

“Real prosperity will depend on the scale of investment committed to turning agricultural output into higher-value products,” he noted.

He emphasized that value addition is the key to sustainable economic growth, enhancing output, creating skilled employment, retaining wealth within the state, and increasing Nigeria’s participation in global value chains.

Citing his experience in reviving idle factories, Alamu highlighted Johnvents Group, the agro-processing subsidiary of CapitalSage Holdings, as a model of scalable industrial development.

“What began as a single distressed cocoa facility in Akure has expanded into ten factories across four major towns in Ondo State,” he said. 

The facilities include an 18,000-metric tonne cocoa processing plant in Akure, a 30,000-metric tonne premium cocoa products plant in Ile-Oluji, and the Noble-Eagle Industrial Complex in Idanre and Owo, producing cocoa derivatives, edible oils, seasoning cubes, beverages, and animal feed for both domestic and international markets.

Johnvents currently employs over 3,000 people, integrates more than 20,000 farmers into structured supply chains, and supports over 10,000 students through education, vocational training, and sports programs.

Alamu stressed that the next phase of growth requires greater scale, expanded processing capacity, stronger infrastructure, and sustained collaboration between government and private investors.

He also called for reliable power supply, clear regulatory frameworks, predictable policies, and infrastructure development, emphasizing that “when the government reduces friction and private capital moves decisively, transformation accelerates.”

Alamu’s address highlighted the central role of large-scale agro-industrial investment in shaping the “New Ondo” and positioning the state as a hub of economic opportunity and sustainable growth.