Osun Government to partner with cassava farmers to drive industrialization agenda

OSUN GOVERNMENT TO PARTNER WITH CASSAVA FARMERS TO DRIVE INDUSTRIALIZATION AGENDA

Osun State government is set to collaborate with Nigeria Cassava Growers Association (NCGA) to drive the industrialization agenda of Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke.

The Honourable Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Rev Bunmi Jenyo stated this while hosting the members of the association, across all the local governments, at the conference room of his ministry on Thursday.

According to the Commissioner, all dilapidated factories and processing sites will be resuscitated and upgraded for optimal usage, to suit the mission of the current administration of Osun State.

“The governor has resolved that Osun must be totally liberated. The State must transform from Civil State into an industrialized one”.

“Our mandate is to partner with your association, connect you with relevant financial institutions, train some of you to man the processing factories and equipment, with a view to grow the economy. This will in turn, create youths employment and increment in the State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR)”, he said.

The State Chairman of the association, Dr. David Ogunsade who promised to cooperate with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said members of the association were over twenty thousand individuals across the State. He maintained that Cassava is not only a staple crop but has become an industrial crop in Nigeria.

Dr. Ogunsade who highlighted the major challenges of the NCGA craved the indulgence of the State Government to facilitate large-scale cassava processing factories as obtainable in Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun and Delta States.

According to Dr. Ogunsade, “we appeal to the government to facilitate a large cassava processing industry, empower our local processors and resuscitate fifteen (15) cassava industries, established by former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola in Osun State”.

“Finally, we will appeal to your government to assist our processors who are our members, to modernise their machines so that they can contribute to our cassava products. If our farmers and processors get proper recognition, over 200,000 jobs will be provided in Osun within one year”, he said.