Delta to leverage Special Agric Economic Zones to create 50,000 jobs

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State says his Administration will leverage on the game-changing potentials of the Special Agricultural Economic Zones to create over 50,000 jobs for the well being and economic prosperity of the people of the State.

Governor Oborevwori said the programme would enhance food security, agro-processing, employment creation, export earnings, infrastructural development with its overall effect on the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

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He stated this when he received officials of the African Development Bank, (ADB), Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), National Cereal Research Institute (NCRI) led by Chuma Ezedinma at the Government House in Asaba, the State Capital.

The governor thanked the delegation for shortlisting Delta State among the successful states for the programme, assuring that his administration would do everything possible to make the programme a success.

“I welcome you all on this final mission to assess our readiness for the establishment and implementation of the Transformational Integrated Special Agricultural Processing Zone for which Delta State has been shortlisted for the second phase.

“Delta State is endowed with arable land suitable for cultivation of palm fruits, casava, maize, yams, plantain and all sorts of vegetables and the Special Agricultural Processing Zone will be a strategic addition and will be hugely successful.

“The zone is critical to our strategy to transform and strengthen the entire Agricultural ecosystem of Delta State.

“We intend to attract, engage and recertify farms and agro value chains to the best in class using the template of the African Development Bank. We count on your support to see the project to fruition while we pledge as a government to meet all the necessary requirements to enable it’s actualisation”, the governor said.

Chuma Ezedinma, leader of the delegation had earlier stated that Delta State had been shortlisted for the second phase of the programme and commended the State Government for it’s Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) model, which according to him, was unique and a pacesetter.

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“Delta State has Economic Zone Management Company designed to manage the industrial zones within the area. Delta has adopted the Public Private Partnership approach which is fundamental for the bank.

“We want to see that the model is used to deliver development of the industrial zones within the state and we want the state to be in the driver’s seat providing the enabling environment while the bank will provide some catalytic financing to help them move forward on this process”, he said.