By Adedoyin Falolu
Ogun State Government has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with a French owned Company, FAN Milk Plc, for the production of raw materials for dairy products in the country.
Speaking after the signing of the MoU in the presence of the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Jerome Pasquier, at the Governor’s office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, said agriculture remained the key sector and his administration is working towards ensuring that the State become the food basket of the nation.
“Agriculture is one of our key sectors. We have the land, people and traditional farmers. Today, we have done so much to become number one in cassava, eggs, poultry in the country and rice, kolanuts, cocoa and cotton production in the South West. Our fish production has become a model in the continent.
“We see ourselves becoming the food basket of the nation and this ties nicely with President Buhari’s ‘grow what you eat and eat what you grow agenda’ and we have keyed into it”, he noted.
Abiodun stated that the State has embarked on various initiatives aimed at reducing unemployment rate, by embracing the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Anchor Borrowers’ and the FADAMA GUYS programmes, saying more than 30, 000 people have benefited.
While pledging his government’s support to the private sector, the Governor added, “we see this as an opportunity, not just to further increase our contribution to food security, but particularly to allow us to reduce the level of unemployment. We realised that agriculture is the easiest and cheapest way to achieve this”.
He acknowledged the contribution of FAN MILK in its more than five decades of existence in the country, expressing hope that the signing of the MoU would help the State in its human capacity building, as well as job creation.
The Governor appreciated the French Ambassador for promoting business opportunities between his country and Nigeria, particularly Ogun State and for facilitating the MoU, observing that production of raw materials for dairy products, would not only create jobs, but also conserve the nation’s foreign exchange.
Responding, Ambassador Pasquier explained that the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the State government and the company, would help reduce food importation and increase food security, adding that it would diversify production by using locally made products.
Pasquier further revealed that the MoU was a new step in corporate cooperation between one of the most successful States in the country, adding that when fully operational, it would help develop the production of local cows in the State.
He commended the State for its performance in the agricultural and educational sectors, expressing happiness for seeing French company taking its share in the State’s industrial activities.
Mr. Olayinka Akinkugbe,Chairman, FAN MILK PLC, in his presentation, noted that the company was in the State to tap the agricultural potentials, for the development of it and the country, and to contribute to the employment drive of the present administration.