Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has said his administration is ready to collaborate with genuine investors, who are willing and ready to invest in the State’s Agricultural Sector.
Abiodun stated this when he received a delegation from the JBJ, JBS and SEARRA Group of Brazil, led by Jose Batista, who paid him a courtesy call in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
He said the State had over 16,000 square kilometers of land mass, and more than 12,000 was arable, saying the State presents a perfect place for large scale investors in farming.
The Governor revealed that State had over 200,000 registered farmers, who were engaging in the production of different types of farm produce and were ready to work with any large-scale farmers or agriculture based organisations.
“We are trying to set up the biggest farmers’ market in Abeokuta, where farmers will bring their produce, process them and sell at affordable prices.
” We support them with farm inputs, such as tractors and even clear the farm land for them and link them up with off takers. So far, N5.4bn has been spent in supporting and training our farmers”, he said.
State helmsman emphasised that the State had the largest road network and a good intertwined transportation system that would be access through land, sea and air to any part of the country, coupled with gas articulation as the result of two major gas pipelines crisscrossing the State, making the State a preferred destination for investors.
He called on the Brazilian conglomerate to take advantage of the strategic location of the State, its vast human and natural potentials and the conducive environment to invest in State, assuring that his administration was ,bsd0ready to work with them.
In his remarks, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Aisha Rimi, said JBJ as the primary supplier of cattle in Brazil, rear cattle in 12 farms of about 200,000 hectares and employ about 5000 people.
Reacting, the leader of the delegation, Mr. Jose Bastista, noted that his team was happy with the level of enthusiasm shown by officials of the State Government to work with them, as well as the conducive business environment that was in the State.