Oyo Govt to partner investors on youth empowerment
NAN-HG-6
Empowerment
By Akeem Abas
Ibadan, Feb. 2, 2017 (NAN) The Oyo State Government says it will partner investors in the state on employment generation and youth empowerment.
Gov. Abiola Ajimobi disclosed this on Thursday during an inspection tour of Triton Farms at Seriki village in Oluyole Local Government Area of the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Triton Farms is owned by a foreign company, Globus Resources Limited.
The farm, which is located on 24,000 hectares of land, is used for aqua culture, poultry, cashew and thick tree farming.
Ajimobi said that his administration would continue to work with the company to make a successful public private partnership.
“What we have here today is the first of its kind in the history of the state and Nigeria by extension.
“We are interested in employment generation and youth empowerment. We will explore how we can bring young school leavers.
“We will look at how we can empower our youths,” he said.
He said that the nation could develop with sincerity, adding that he is very glad that the effort of government to woe investors to the state is yielding positive results.
The governor, who stated that the company was one that exemplified value-chain, expressed optimism that the company would be a big name in few years.
Earlier, Mr Raju Santari, Chief Operating Officer of the company, said that the farm have 450 workers presently, saying the workforce will increase to 3,000 workers in few years to come.
Santari said that the company started in July 2015 while production began in Dec. 2015, recording its first batch of products in April 2016.
“At present, we produce 500 birds per annum and will increase to 15 million in the next five years.
“We produce 5,000 metric tones of catfish and will increase to 60,000 in five years.
“Today, we have 15,000 cashew trees and very optimistic that it will increase 50,000,” he said.
He said that the farm would help the state in saving foreign exchange, saying that cashew, catfish and tillapia would be exported to foreign countries.
Santari said that the company had since its establishment used solar and bio-gas energy generated from agriculture and poultry waste products.
He said that the company would also have a training sector for youths in the state to become successful entrepreneurs.
Santari, however, listed theft, invasion of the farmlands by herdsmen and their cows as some of the challenges.
Chief Sikiru Adeyinka, who spoke on behalf of the host community, appreciated the governor for facilitating the company to the community.
Adeyinka, who stated that the community would forever remain grateful to the governor, pledged their support to the company and the government. (NAN)
TAA/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola