Oil Palm Expansion: Ogun, CBN Collaboration Will Enhance Youth Employment, Others- Agric Commissioner

By ABIODUN JIMOH, ABEOKUTA

Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina has expressed that the proposed collaboration between state government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) towards oil palm expansion would enhance youth employment as well as create other opportunities.

Dr. Odedina stated this during inspection tour to Lomiro Oil Palm Plantation at Ogun Waterside local government area, where another oil palm processing mill is located, in company of delegates from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), maintained that oil palm is a huge employment generation sector.

He said: “We are looking at ways of boosting oil palm production in the state. This is a huge employment generation venture, the value chain for employment generation is very high, it is one of the things we are going to be using in Ogun as value chain opportunities.

“With CBN intervention and government’s desire to boost oil palm production, interested farmers can venture into any aspect of oil production which has lots of economic advantage.

“Oil palm value chain is very wide and vital. That is why CBN has come to help in Ogun because we want this place to be a model for individuals and  organisations. We also want our youths to establish oil palm estates such as this.”

Moreover, Dr. Odedina eulogised the General Manager, Ogun State Agricultural Corporate (ADC), Femi Soremekun and the Estate Manager, Mr Ganiyu Omitogun for their foresight at replanting more palm trees in replacement of diminishing ones, and for raising a healthy nursery seedlings.

In her remarks, Head, Development Finance, CBN, Abeokuta Branch, Dr. (Mrs) Oluyemisi Olukoya, who expressed deep satisfaction at the rate of operations at the estate, said the apex bank was ready to make oil palm, a more flourishing business in Ogun State, through rehabilitation, replication and expansion.

“We are particularly impressed because we can see the entire oil palm value chain being represented and well established and on ground in this estate right from nursery, production, marketing as well as processing.

“We are also looking at its suitability for investment in the Oil Palm development initiative of the CBN because it is one of our focal commodity and we are also looking at collaborating with the state government in terms of rehabilitation and expansion of the oil palm business in Ogun State,” Olukoya disclosed.

Established in 1957, Lomiro Oil Palm Plantation is seated on 1,462 hectares of land with an average production capacity of 3,000 litres of palm oil per day and has over 200 staffers in its employ.