Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun said the state is ready to partner Jose Batista Sobrinho (JBS) of Brazil.
With seven decades of history, JBS is currently the largest protein producer in the world and the second largest food company in the world.
The company operates in the processing of beef, pork,lamb and chicken, and also operates in the production of convenience foods and value added.
Prince Dapo Abiodun, spoke when he received the Managing Director of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Aisha Rimi, alongside the Director of International Operations, JBS, Fabio Maia, and his colleague in the poultry and swine department, Osorio Dal Bello, in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
He added that the Ogun State government is indeed willing to partner with companies like JBS, as the right business environment is available for them.
According to the governor, JBS cannot find a better state in the country to partner with, adding that if the company picks Ogun State for its business venture, the business venture with Botswana would be halted.
“I have read a bit about JBS, I know how big you are, your market share, I know you supply probably 50% of beef in America, England and about 36% of pork as well and these are numbers that speak to the fact that you have acquired the knowledge and experience involved over the years.
“And the likes of you are those we will like to partner with. Today in Ogun State, we have Nestle, Olam, Cadbury, May and Baker. All the blue chip companies in Nigeria that are manufacturing are right here in this state with their manufacturing headquarters right here,” he said.
The Governor also noted that his administration has dedicated an area in the state as its livestock production zone and added that the state is currently the reference point in terms of agro-processing zones in the country.
Prince Abiodun, while noting that Ogun State is first in terms of the development of agro-processing zones in the country, added that the state, which is one of the six agro-processing zones recently established by the Federal Government, is ready with its enabling environment and the right ecosystem for manufacturers to flourish and function in the state.
Governor Abiodun also quoted statistics showing that between 10,000 to 15,000 cattle are slaughtered in Lagos State daily, adding that a fair number of those cattle are from the state.
“We have dedicated an area in the state as our livestock production zone.
“Today, we have the reference agro-processing zone in Nigeria. Six were slated to be established in Nigeria; we are in the first phase of that six, but we are actually number one in terms of development.
“What have we done? We’ve also co-located a special agro-airport in that zone. The idea is that if you are processing goods that are highly perishable and need to be air-freighted, you are processing them in the zone, packaging them there, and can put them on the plane and export from there.
“So, we have ensured the entire ecosystem required to operate in Ogun State, and we will continue to ensure that we provide the enabling environment for that ecosystem to flourish and function,” he said.
Prince Abiodun also disclosed that a $10 million investment is set to be signed between the State Government and a Moroccan firm in the next few weeks.
The deal is for the by-product of palm oil in Ogun State.
“I was in Morocco last week, and one of the teams that we met there—potential investors—was asking us for a by-product of our palm oil refining, something that we normally discard.
“They are going to be signing a Memorandum of Understanding with us in the next few weeks to actually export, in the first instance, about $10 million worth of this palm oil extract,” he said.
Governor Abiodun noted that his administration would soon be launching its timber processing zone and added that the state recently established its own inland port, which he said would help manufacturers situated in the state accelerate their development.
Earlier in his remarks, the Director of International Expansion of JBS, Fabio Maia, commended the business-friendly environment provided by the Ogun State Government, citing the rapid rise of companies, especially along the Abeokuta-Sagamu expressway.
Fabio Maia, while noting that JBS would be building three chicken plants, two cattle plants, and one swine plant in the country, added that the company would be investing $2.5 billion in the country.
The Managing Director of the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Aisha Rimi, on her part, noted that the JBS team is conducting a feasibility study and project development plan in the country.
She said that the team’s visit was a follow-up to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent trip to Brazil, where a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Federal Government and JBS on livestock production. (vitalnewsngr.com)
