Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has reiterated his commitment to revive cocoa Industries in the state with a target to be the first cocoa producing state in Nigeria.
At a meeting with a Chinese team of investors, from Wuxi Huadong Cocoa Food Co. Ltd, who were on a two-day working visit to the state, Adeleke expressed his commitment to revive old cocoa plantations and plant at least, a million seedlings and develop processing factories for new cocoa products.
A statement by the spokesperson to the governor, Mallam Olawale Rasheed stated that the company’s Managing Director, Mr. Yan Weiqing, who expressed satisfaction after the site inspection at the moribund Cocoa industry at Ede, had promised to rebuild the Cocoa Processing facility and bring in new equipment for the progress of the governor’s industrialization agenda.
Speaking further, the governor who described the presence of the Chinese team as a welcome development, said, “We are open to a Memorandum of Understanding for the revival of the industry located at Ede, Osun State.
“I am therefore directing the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry as well as the Attorney General of the State to look into this matter and work out a partnership deal”.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Rev. Bunmi Jenyo, who enumerated Osun’s economic potentials, had stated that the company is expected to generate direct and indirect jobs for the citizens, revenue for the state and good returns on investments for prospective investors.
According to the Commissioner, “Osun State has comparative advantage on Cocoa production, which is the main raw material needed by the company, as well as Kolanut, Maize, Yam, Cocoyam, Sweet Potatoes, Palm Produce and varieties of fruits and vegetables”.
