$11m Vegetable Project To Create 85,000 Jobs

Chief Audu Ogbeh

The  minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has welcomed the proposed investment of about US$11 million green house vegetable project  by Wells San-Carlos Green House Farms Limited.

At a meeting between the ministry and the representatives of Mexican investor, Wells San-Carlos Green House Farms Limited at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, the minister said 45 million hectares of land was still left uncultivated and solicited the support of the Mexican investor in reaching out to other investors in Mexico on the investment opportunities in the agricultural sector in Nigeria.

Ogbeh stated that Mexico supplies 60 per cent of fruits to Europe and therefore requested the investor to help in the training of young people on extension programmes or establish a school to train farm managers.
In his words, “Creating Jobs should be   a priority now to avoid any revolt from the young people”.

The Minister encouraged the investors to consider investing on plantain, bananas, and snails, saying that apart from the 200million population of Nigeria, the country still feeds about 70 million people outside the country”.

He however advised the investor to consider the use of liquid  fertilizer for its Greenhouses and assured of the ministry’s support towards the success of the project.

In his remarks, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, expressed his delight having noted that the project would create 85,000 jobs and commended the level of commitment of the investor.

Also, the executive director/chief executive officer of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr Olusegun Awolowo, solicited for support from the ministry on Dam and irrigation facilities; Guarantees for all Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) on agriculture; Work Permit for the expatriates coming for the project; Training on farm management and Fertilizers for the Greenhouses.

The Chairman, Wells San-carlos Agro Farms Limited, Captain (Dr) Idahosa Okunbo , in his remarks assured the ministry of his total commitment and that of his foreign partners in ensuring that the project, which would be sited  in Benin, has the blessings of the rural communities and their leaders.

He said the project would create job opportunities for the youths, boost food production and reduce Nigeria’s import bill in the agricultural sector.