S'Africans to invest $200m in Edo, Enugu, Benue States

This Day | 2 July 2014
Medium_adams-oshiomhole
Governor of Edot State, Adams Oshiomhole, wants  a group of South African investors to set up oil palm plantations on 100,000 hectares of land in Edo.

S'Africans to invest $200m in Edo, Enugu, Benue States

by Adibe Emenyonu

A group of South African investors have indicated interest to plough $200 million in the agriculture sector in Edo, Enugu and Benue states.

The investors have therefore sort the acquisition of 5,000 hectares of farmland which at the end would provide over 2,500 direct and indirect jobs for Nigerians especially the people of the three states.

This was disclosed when the board members of Nigerian Institute for Oil-palm Research (NIFOR) led by its chairman, Senator Lee Maeba, visited Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State at Government House, Benin City.

According to him “God did not make any mistake in citing NIFOR in Benin.  NIFOR has on its roll over 2,000 employees and is very particular to mention 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."

Senator Maeba commended the governor in his determination to show commitment to the infrastructural development of the state and sued for its sustenance.

The Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) was established in October 1939 as a Research/Training Institute.

Responding, Oshiomhole told the board members of NIFOR to advise the South African investor to look in the direction of Edo State for investment of the $200 million in the cultivation and production of oil palm on 100,000 hectares of land, pointing out that the state has adequate land reserves and other infrastructure to meet the demands of the investors.

Oshiomhole who maintained that Edo is the safest in the entire nation and that her people are hospitable, noted that other agro-companies that have investments in the state are doing so well  that they have asked for more land for expansion.

He told the NIFOR board members that government was willing to approve more land for the Institute if it applies for it.

Oshiomhole noted that 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, assuring NIFOR of government’s support whenever such is needed.

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Business Day | 2 July 2014

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

by IDRIS UMAR MOMOH

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.
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