Benue, 6 other states to benefit from AfDB projects

Benue State is one of the 7 states in the country to benefit from the establishment of special agro-industrial processing zones to be funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB).

This initiative, which aims at bringing together the farming and the processing community of the country under one roof to add value to the produce which farmers have been producing at great cost, is expected to gulp USD 1bn over the next 3 years.

At the meeting held yesterday at the Maitama, Abuja secretariat of the Nigeria Governors Forum and attended by Prof Oyebanji Oyeyinka, Snr Special Adviser to the president of the AFDB, some investors from China, governors of the 7 participating state of Benue, Kebbi, Sokoto, Ondo, Yobe, Gombe and Ekiti, as well as those of Anambra and Delta, which also indicated interest in the project, it was decided that each state appoint a linkman to invite the AfDB for them to sit down together and map out the plan for the state.

Speaking after the meeting, Benue State Deputy Governor, Engr Benson Abounu, who stood in for Governor Samuel Ortom explained that the initiative by the AfDB aims at developing agriculture into an industrial hub and establishing industrial parks or zones in the select states, which will help lift Nigerian farmers out of poverty by giving them appropriate income for their labour.

He further explained that these industrial parks or zones shall consist of plants or factories that produce or process other derivative goods from the primary farm produce of the local farmers.

He stated that “there will be more efficient production of agriculture, together with the entire value chain. Farmers will be encouraged to produce according to world standard and the crops shall be duly certified”.

“Take soya bean for example. You will produce it according to world standard, to be certified as globally acceptable. At the same time, there will be plants that will produce various forms of products that originate from soyabean such as soya milk, soya oil, and soya cake for animal consumption. Now, all these factories/plants will be in one industrial zone”

Engr Abounu expressed joy that Benue State is one of the benefitting states and stated that the state will take full advantage of the opportunity offered by the AfDB to expand and develop the state economy, which is anchored on agriculture driven industrialization.

He said the AfDB initiative, will promote efficient agricultural production with the entire value chain and help farmers in the state get value for their produce, and announced Governor Ortom’s appointment of Mr Steve Amase as the state linkman for the establishment of the agro-industrial processing zone.