Adeleke Hosts Chinese Team on Cocoa Revival Initiative
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has reiterated his commitment to revive Cocoa Industries with a target to be the first Cocoa producing State in Nigeria.
The Governor who stated this at a meeting with a Chinese team of investors, from Wuxi Huadong Cocoa Food Co. Limited, who were on a two-day working visit to the state said his agenda extends to developing partnership with agro industrial firms, from far and near.
Governor Adeleke pointed out that his administration launched the Cocoa revival initiative in January this year which covers revival of old cocoa plantations, planting of, at least, a million seedlings and development of processing factories for new cocoa products.
Our government is particularly focused on reviving the state’s Cocoa Industries limited. We seek to go beyond becoming the first Cocoa producing State in Nigeria. We target producing and exporting Cocoa products. That explains why we are determined to revive our Cocoa Industry and even establish new factories”.
The Governor who described the presence of the Chinese team as a welcome development, said, his government is open to a Memorandum of Understanding for the revival of the industry located at Ede, Osun State.
He directed the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry as well as the Attorney General of the State to work out a partnership deal.
The Managing Director, Wuxi Huadong Cocoa Food Co. Limited, Mr. Yan Weiqing, who expressed satisfaction after the site inspection at the moribund Cocoa industry at Ede, promised to rebuild the Cocoa Processing facility and bring in new equipment for the progress of Mr. Governor’s industrialization agenda.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Reverend Bunmi Jenyo 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.
