When Adeleke visited London to sign MoU with no investor – By Adebayo Adedeji

It is no longer news that Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, alongside nearly 20 state officials, embarked on a trip to London, United Kingdom, presumably to attend this year’s Commonwealth Trade and Investment Summit held 7-8 April, 2025. The trip reportedly cost the state government almost N200 million in flight tickets, hotel accomodation, meal, drinks and Estacode. But what is news is that the Osun delegation only travelled to London to sign an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with an obscure Management Consultant that would shop around for investors for Osun State. Yes, Osun did not sign an MoU with prospective investors; but with a consultant “hussling” on the street of London for survival. This is an exercise that could have been done over the telephone or through email, if the government was to be a serious one.

According to the statement issued by the state government regarding the London excursion, ” The major highlight of the meeting was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for investment FACILITATION ( emphasis mine) between the Osun State Government and a UK investment facilitation firm, ESG Management Services UK Limited.

The statement went further, “The purpose of this MoU is to establish a collaborative framework through which ESGMS will assist the Osun State Government in sourcing and facilitating investment opportunities from the UK-based companies in the sectors of agriculture, manufacturing, solid minerals and other strategic areas.”

The said management firm, ESG Management Services UK, was incorporated just 3 years ago and is owned by one Toju Fransisco Da-Silva, who previously in 2018 was in Nigeria to promote a tourism website, a venture which failed irredeemably.

There is no evidence of Da-Silva ever facilitating investments in the sectors highlighted by the state government. Even if the state government must seek assistance of a management consultant to draw investments to Nigeria, must the state governor lead his whole cabinet to London to sign a vain agreement? This is a testament to the profligacy of the Adeleke government and how low governance has become in the state.

I will not retell the story of how the dancing governor reportedly overslept in London hotel at a time his colleague-governors like Babajide Sanwo-olu of Lagos and Peter Mbah of Enugu were pitching to international investors. I will not retell the unfortunate story because it has been over-told by the Osun citizens themselves.