By Tunde Oso
Odu’a Investment Company Limited’s ongoing Cassava Cultivation & Processing Project at Imeko, Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State is set to experience a fillip as the Ogun State Government has pledged to support the project.
This was made known recently when the Commissioner for Agriculture, Ogun State, Dr Adeola Odedina, along with the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Dotun Sorunke and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Agribusiness, Mrs Eva Adelaja visited the Cassava Plantation.
The team from Ogun State were impressed that since the operations started in late June 2020, 220 hectares of the land had been cleared and 86 hectares was planted at the time of the visit.
The commissioner remarked that in three months, the Cassava Plantation looked very healthy and the project was already having social impact with the engagement of 35 youths who are indigenes of the host community.
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The Group Managing Director/CEO of Odu’a Investment Company Limited(OICL), Mr Adewale Raji stated that the mandate is to clear and plant 1,200 hectares of cassava in 13 months and that the ultimate goal is.
to establish combined processing plants of 100 tons per day fresh cassava value addition into High Quality Cassava Flour and High Quality Food Grade Starch.
The GMD said that the plantation would ensure raw materials availability for the plants. He commended Prince Dapo Abiodun, the Executive Governor of Ogun State for linking the administration’s focus with agriculture to industrial demand, job creation, food security and industrialisation.
He also commended the Ogun State Agric Ministry’s approach on strong value chain coordination and achievements in registering over 2,000 beneficiaries for rice cultivation and 3,000 beneficiaries for cassava cultivation under the Anchor Borrowers Programme.
Chairman of Niji Farms Group the Technical Management Partner of OICL on the entire project, Engr Kola Adeniji and his team were on hand to lead the tour of the plantation.
In his goodwill message, High Chief Prof Anthony Asiwaju, Balogun of Imekoland who represented the Onimeko, HRM Oba Benjamin Olanite, thanked Odu’a Group for bringing the long awaited development to Imeko community and assured of the cooperation of the Imeko community towards the success of the project.
Meanwhile, OICL and the Ogun Agric Ministry have agreed to have further discussion on collaboration and partnership.
