South Africans to invest $200m in 3 states in #nigeria

A group of South African investors have indicated interest to
plough $200 million in the agriculture sector in Edo, Enugu
and Benue states.
The investors have therefore sort the acquisition of 5,000
hectares of farmland which at the end would provide over
2,500 direct and indirect jobs for Nigerians especially the
people of the three states.
This was disclosed when the board members of Nigerian
Institute for Oil-palm Research (NIFOR) led by its chairman,
Senator Lee Maeba, visited Governor Adams Oshiomhole of
Edo State at Government House, Benin City.
According to him "God did not make any mistake in citing
NIFOR in Benin. NIFOR has on its roll over 2,000 employees
and is very particular to mention that nearly 2,000 of these
are from Edo State and so we can conveniently say that
NIFOR is one of the major employers of labour in Edo State."
Senator Maeba commended the governor in his
determination to show commitment to the infrastructural
development of the state and sued for its sustenance.
The Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) was
established in October 1939 as a Research/Training
Institute.
Responding, Oshiomhole told the board members of NIFOR
to advise the South African investor to look in the direction
of Edo State for investment of the $200 million in the
cultivation and production of oil palm on 100,000 hectares
of land, pointing out that the state has adequate land
reserves and other infrastructure to meet the demands of
the investors.
Oshiomhole who maintained that Edo is the safest in the
entire nation and that her people are hospitable, noted that
other agro-companies that have investments in the state
are doing so well that they have asked for more land for
expansion.
He told the NIFOR board members that government was
willing to approve more land for the Institute if it applies for
it.
Oshiomhole noted that government had cause to revoke
reserved land from some landlords who were not actual
farmers but were sub-letting such land to small-scale
farmers and collecting rent on same, assuring NIFOR of
government's support whenever such is needed.