Israelis Plan Agro-Industrial Dev Centre in Osun, As Ambassador Meets Gov Oyetola Ahead Agritech Nigeria Event in Osogbo

The State of Osun has begun to reap the dividends of hosting the first-ever Agro Technology Exhibition and Conference tagged Agritech Nigeria Osun 2019 even before the event is held.

Agritech Nigeria Osun 2019 is an exhibition and conference on Agriculture, Farm Machineries, Dairy, Poultry, Water Technology, Livestock Equipment, Processing Technologies, Seedling, Crop Science, Irrigation, Greenhouse Technology, Fertilizer, Pesticides, Biotechnology, Environmental Control and Fishery. It will hold in Osogbo from 26-28 March, 2019.

 

P.M. EXPRESS can report that a lot of Israeli agricultural companies have been liasing with the Embassy of Israel in Nigeria to link them up with the Government of the State of Osun. One of such companies SEC Equipment and Communications (Nig) Limited had even submitted a proposal for an Agro-Industrial Development Centre in Osun State under the Public Private Partnership Scheme (PPP). The proposal, which was dated 05 February, 2019, had since been submitted to the Supervisor on Agriculture, Dr. Charles Akinola for onward delivery to the Governor.

The Agro-Industrial Centre (AIC), P.M. EXPRESS gathered, will include processing, packaging, warehousing, transportation, distribution, R&D/technology implementation, training and extension services.

Meanwhile, the Ambassador of Israel to Nigeria, Shimon Ben-Shosham met with the Governor of the State of Osun, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola to discuss matters of economic relationship targeted at developing the state.

Ambassador Ben-Sholam, who visited the Governor at the Governor’s Lodge, Awolowo House, Asokoro, Abuja on Thursday, pledged Israeli Government’s readiness to support agricultural development of the agrarian society of the State of Osun.

The Ambassador, who was in company of the Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Israel, Goren Nadav, the Embassy’s Senior Economic Officer, Ms. Florence Osuji, told Governor Oyetola that the Embassy will mobilise many Israeli companies in Nigeria and other West African countries to the first-ever international agro technology exhibition and conference tagged Agritech Nigeria Osun 2019, which will hold in Osogbo from 26-28 March.

The Israeli Ambassador noted that the Agritech Nigeria event will further expose the State of Osun and help fast track the development which Governor Oyetola is craving for, adding that he will be leading a delegation of the Embassy of Israel to Osogbo to attend the three days agricultural trade fair.

The Governor thanked his guests for the visit and commended the Israeli government for her willingness to partner with the state government in the agricultural sector. He stressed that the door of the state is opened to every investor that is ready to partner with the state government.

P.M. EXPRESS can also report that Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry through the Embassy of Ukraine in Nigeria, though they will be attending the Agritech event in Osogbo, it was gathered that a proposal on how to use the Osun river to drive hydro power project in the state has also been submitted to the government through the office of Dr. Akinola.

The Iranian Embassy has also confided in the organisers of Agritech Nigeria event that a company in that country has indicated interest to open talks with the Government of the State of Osun in a bid to establish an investment worth $100m on tomatoes processing firm in the state. The Embassy senior officer said that the company will be asking for a water logged land to set up this company.

 

“We have discussed what we heard from the Embassy of Iran with some top officials of the Government of the State for them to follow up with the Embassy in Abuja. I don’t know whether they have done the needful to open talks with the Embassy,” said one of the organisers who confided in P.M. EXPRESS.

Meanwhile, the preparation to organise the Agritech Nigeria Osun 2019 later this month is gathering momentum with no fewer than 40 countries’ Ambassadors and High Commissioners showing interest to attended and participate in the Diplomatic/Economic Forum, one of several activities that will hold in the three days Agritech Nigeria event.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Trade Investments and Economic Cooperation Division has been mobilising all accredited Embassies and High Commissions in Nigeria to the event.

Already the Federation of ECOWAS Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FEWACCI) is coordinating the participation of companies in the West African nations.

President Muhmmadu Buhari is expected to declare the event opened with the attendance of members of the Federal Executive Council, Heads of government parastatals and agencies, captains of industries in Nigeria, stakeholders in Nigerian agriculture and farmers across the country.

The organisers of the event told P.M. EXPRESS at the weekend that about 500,000 participants are expected to attend the event, which is scheduled for the Osogbo Township Stadium.

The Agritech Nigeria Osun 2019 is being organized by the Government of the State of Osun, Fesco Agalu Nigeria Limited and Kenes Exhibition of Israel, organiser of Agritech Israel with support from the Governors’ Forum, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Federal Ministry of Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria,  Nigeria Institute of Social and Economic Research Institute (NISER), Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, National Seed Council, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).