Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji has reaffirmed his administration’s resolve in ensuring a business-friendly environment for investors to thrive in the state.
Governor Oyebanji gave the assurance on Tuesday during a working visit to Promasidor Nigeria Limited in Lagos State, as part of efforts to facilitate the scale-up of Ikun Dairy Farm, a major investment in the state’s agriculture sector for a more enhanced productivity and profitability.
Speaking during the visit, Governor Oyebanji emphasized the importance of Ikun Diary Farm, which is run on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with Promasidor, to the state’s economy and it’s potentials to boost local milk production and reduce the country’s reliance on imported dairy product.
He assured Promasidor’s management of his government’s readiness to address all the challenges hindering the smooth operation and expansion of the project.
Oyebanji who also admitted that the cost of production has soared in virtually all sectors, said it is the vision of the State Government to see the Ikun Diary Farm serve the purpose for which it was originally set up.
“I am aware of some of the challenges in respect to land, irrigation, the need to scale up security, and also how we can structure a process that will reduce the cost of production so that you can make more profit because how to transport from Ekiti to Lagos is a lot of issues and we are dealing with that and I hope very soon there will be a way out.
“As a government, we see Ikun Dairy Farm as our baby and Promasidor as our strategic partner in our quest to develop our state and also share prosperity among all citizens”, the Governor said.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Promasidor Nig Ltd, Mr Francois Gillet, who expressed his appreciation to the Governor for the visit and support for Ikun Dairy Farm, said the visit was a testament to the Governor’s dedication to fostering public-private partnership in the state.
While thanking the state government for providing a conducive business friendly environment, the CEO said the support has enabled the farm to scale up its operations significantly, achieving a daily milk production of over 6,000 liters per day, a milestone which according to him not only reflect the project’s success but also its potential to contribute substantially to local economic growth and employment