South African plans $200m agric investment in Edo, Enugu, Benue

As part of efforts to expand its investment frontiers, a South African investor has concluded plans to plough $200 million into the agricultural sector in Nigeria.

The investor is planning to invest the sum in agricultural development in Edo, Enugu and Benue states. Lee Maeba, board chairman, Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR), gave the hint in Benin City during a courtesy visit to Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

Maeba, who led other members of the board on the visit, however, solicited the state government’s collaboration for the acquisition of 5,000 hectares of farmland for the cultivation of palm oil by the institute.

He opined that the investment would generate over 2,500 direct and indirect jobs for Nigerians, especially the people of Edo State. According to him, God did not make any mistake in citing NIFOR in Benin City. NIFOR has on its roll over 2,000 employees, and particularly mentioned that nearly 2,000 of these are from Edo State, and so we can conveniently say that NIFOR is one of the major employers of labour in Edo State, he said.

While commending the Oshiomhole-led government in his determination to show commitment to the infrastructural development of the state, he however sued for its sustenance.

In his remarks, the governor advised the investor to look towards the cultivation and production of oil palm on 100,000 hectares of the state’s reserved land.

Oshiomhole, who contended that the state has adequate land reserves and other infrastructure to meet the demands of the investor, noted that the state was the safest in the entire nation and her people were hospitable.

“Other agro-companies that have investments in the state are doing so well that they have asked for more land for expansion. Government will approve more land for NIFOR if it applies for it. Let me tell you that the state government had cause to revoke reserved land from some landlords who were not actual farmers but were sub-letting such land to small-scale farmers and collecting rent on same,” he said.

He however assured the management of NIFOR of government’s support whenever such was needed.

NIFOR was established in October 1939, as a research/training Institute.

IDRIS UMAR MOMOH