Ogun tags second investors’ forum on agric economy, targets agric value-chain processors

Prompted with a mission to improve on the last edition of Investors’ Forum and a course to divert from oil-based Nigerian economy, the Ogun state government is planning to inculcate more agriculturists and produce processors in the agriculture value-chain into the latest edition of the State’s Investors’ Forum coming up in May.

The State Investors’ Forum, which was initiated by Governor Ibikunle Amosun in 2012, is targeted at existing and prospective investors and business operators where issues relating to investment, entrepreneurship, housing, business incentives, taxes, tariffs, land acquisitions are discussed, economic policies and conducive business atmosphere are sought after.

Speaking at the Oyo State Economic Summit held in Ibadan recently, Bimbo Ashiru, State commissioner for commerce and industry disclosed that the latest edition of the forum would not only build on the successes recorded in the last one, but would also inculcate small and medium-scale enterprises and produce processing in agriculture value-chain in addition to real sector.

Ashiru said that the state, having secured about 43 industries in the aftermath of last edition of the forum in 2012, was ready to showcase the state’s mineral and natural resources as well as its economic comparative advantages in the comity of Nigerian states, adding that the forum would discuss extensively on the need to divert from oil to agriculture-based economy.

 

The commissioner noted that the forthcoming summit would attract both local and foreign investors in the agro-allied based and housing sectors, which would add another economic dimension to the forum, expressing optimism that the participation of those identified could attract more investment into the state and in return, enhance socio-economic growth.

“The purpose is to showcase what we have in terms of mineral and natural resources. The way to go now is agro-based industries; the value-chain processing of agriculture that leads to industrialization. Look at what cassava is doing, you can get industrial starch, you can get ethanol, you can sugar, and you can get C02 in the same cassava.

“Those are the things that we need to start looking at and go back to the basic whereby we depend more on agriculture processing that leads to industrialization as against depending more on oil,” Ashiru explained.

RAZAQ AYINLA