Oniru of Iru Kingdom, Oba Abdulwasiu Omogbolahan Lawal (Abisogun II), has unveiled the Oniru Business Council and Iru Business Network as permanent platforms to coordinate growth and improve the ease of doing business in Iruland.
Oba Lawal, who spoke during the maiden Oniru Business and Cultural Day ceremony held at the weekend in his palace, said the initiative was a result of years of engagement with business owners, residents, investors, youth leaders and artisans across the Kingdom, all of whom consistently called for coordinated development and structured engagement.
“Growth must be coordinated. Dialogue must be structured. Prosperity must be inclusive,” the monarch said, describing the gathering as the institutional expression of a vision shaped through reflection, consultation and deliberate engagement.
He said that the platform would provide a structured space where businesses, expatriates, residents, the palace and relevant government institutions can engage directly on issues affecting the ease of doing business, stressing that it marks the beginning of sustained engagement rather than a one-off conversation.
According to him, outcomes from the engagements, in partnership with the Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, would be formally documented and integrated into the state’s private-sector development agenda to ensure discussions translate into policy action and measurable change.
The monarch said that the Iru business network would serve as a collaborative ecosystem connecting enterprises within the Kingdom to encourage responsible investment, expand employment opportunities, strengthen small and medium enterprises, deepen supply chain linkages and promote local participation in large-scale commercial activity.
He added that the Oniru Business Council would function as a standing advisory body to provide continuity, guidance and oversight, ensuring commitments are tracked, challenges escalated and progress measured through feedback systems, performance scorecards and periodic public reporting.
“Through this structured framework, we will systematically identify regulatory bottlenecks, infrastructural gaps, environmental concerns, immigration matters, among others,” he said.
The monarch noted that the Iru Kingdom sits within one of Nigeria’s most dynamic commercial corridors, hosting valuable real estate clusters, hospitality hubs, technology enterprises, financial institutions and creative industry establishments, stressing that such vibrancy comes with responsibility.
Meanwhile, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in his keynote address, commended the Oniru for purposeful leadership, saying Iru Kingdom has distinguished itself as a model of structured growth, investment confidence and responsible urban transformation.
The governor, represented by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, said Lagos State contributes about 22 per cent of Nigeria’s GDP and hosts the largest concentration of SMEs in West Africa, attributing the performance to deliberate governance choices and sustained reforms.
Also speaking, Executive Chairman of the Nigerian Revenue Service, Dr Zacch Adedeji, said the initiative reflects a deliberate governance approach that places dialogue, partnership and accountability at the centre of economic development.
He said that Nigeria’s tax reform and the transformation of the revenue service were designed to support business expansion by simplifying compliance, improving transparency and creating a productive investment climate.
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