Governor Obaseki reiterates commitment to boost agriculture sector
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, reiterates commitment to boost agriculture to attract investors into the oil palm and cassava sub-sectors for the manufacturing of Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG).
This was stated by Governor Obaseki during a virtual meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, and some foreign and local agribusiness investors in Abuja.
The meeting was held as part of the activities marking the inauguration of the new U.S. President, Joe Biden, and Vice-President, Kamala Harris.
Obaseki said that in his first term in office, efforts were made to instituting the framework for Edo State Oil Palm Programme (ESOPP)
According to the governor, this is in support of oil palm value chain development in the state for the benefit of all.
Obaseki expressed delight in the support and commitment of the ambassador to the plight of farmers and value chain development in the state.
He commended the U.S. continued support for Fayus Inc., an agro-processor and distributor based in Sacramento, California, for its investments in Edo and Nigeria.
The governor pledged an additional allocation of 5000 hectares of land for the firm, while emphasising the need for human capacity development to engage the people of Edo.
Amb. Leonard, who led the team of U.S. officials, commended Obaseki for his expression of interest to attract U.S. agri-business investors in the cassava and oil palm value chains.
The ambassador pledged support to incentivize other U.S. food and agribusiness companies to invest in Africa.
“We are ready to get the job done in Nigeria and in Edo.
“Over the next four years, we will be milling palm oil in Edo from our investment in the 5,000 hectares of land recently allocated by Gov. Obaseki’s administration.
“Fayus, Inc. is one of six new oil palm investors in Edo with state-of-the-art nurseries boasting of over 600,000 high-performance seedlings ready for planting in 2021.
“Fayus, Inc. is committed to sustainable cassava supply chain infrastructure development and value creation in Nigeria,” he said.
According to him. Fayus Inc. plans to invest over $32 million in cassava value creation in Nigeria and an additional $18 million in Ghana and Togo, and has approached the USAID funded West Africa Trade and Investment Hub (WATIH) for support.
Also, the Chairman of Shine Bridge Global Inc., Dr Tony Bello, said that the market size of gluten-free and grain-free CPG is estimated at $4.5 Billion by 2025.
Bello said that value-added HQCF or tapioca flour serves as functional food ingredients for making ready-to-eat consumer new food products.
