From Mustapha Adamu, Kano
Silvex International Limited, an indigenous integrated agribusiness, mining and logistics company has revealed that it is planning to establish agro-industrial park in Kano state.
The company has diversed interest in commodity production, aggregation, processing, packaging and trading, which is working across 26 Nigerian states and 7 African countries.
The Chief Executive Officer of Silvex International, Alhaji Abubakar Usman Adam made the revelation today after he made an investment presentation to the Executive Council of Kano State, at the Kano Government House on Wednesday.
The CEO disclosed that the state governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, while receiving the team, gave an express directive to Kano Investment Promotion Agency (KANIVEST) and all other relevant government agencies to hasten the process and outline what is expected of the government to incentivize the investors and ensure immediate actualization of the project.
According to the CEO, the Agro-Industrial Park is worth $162,000,000 and with express directives from Kano state governor, the first phase of the project estimated at $12, 000,000,would be completed within six months of the inception period.
He said the pproject is designed to serve as a geographical cluster of independent firms grouped together to gain economy of scale by sharing infrastructure such as roads, energy, transportation, laboratory, communication and storage facilities among many other things.
Adams explained that the objectives of the project is to among other things; improve development of systematic agricultural value chain in various commodities in Nigeria and beyond.
He disclosed that the proposed agro-Industrial park is to be situated at Bunkure community within the Kano River Irrigation Project area in Bunkure Local Government area of the state.
“The project is supported by the British Foreign and Common Wealth Development Office(FCDO/UKAid) under its Links Project. The Agro-Industrial project will serve as a one-stop shop for agribusiness and commodity trading through value addition and strategic reserve and storage facilities where key players will have positive externalities.
“This will attract more investments and job creations, improve rural incomes and livelihoods, as well as increase internally generated revenue to government. On other hand farmers, aggregators, processors and distributors will de-risk their businesses and solve the challenge of supply defaults and business activities will have increased profits” the CEO added.
He also confirmed that the project, which is the first of its kind in Nigeria, would play a significant role in price stabilization of essential commodities, market development and promote agricultural mechanization and technology transfer from foreign investors in the country with a robust research and development through scientific and modern equipment that will be deployed.
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