Vice President Kashim Shettima has commissioned Springfield Agro Limited’s crops protection chemical plant, a member of Kewalram Chanrai Group, which deals with the provision of total farm solutions to the agriculture sector of the Nigerian economy.

In his address at the commissioning of the plant at Ewu-osi, Sagamu-Ibadan expressway in Ogun State, Shettima stressed the need for the expansion of industrial capacity across the value chain to guarantee food security in the country.

Represented by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Vice President noted that the only way to achieve this was for the ambitious and committed private sector to complement policies put in place by the government to redefine the trajectory of the nation’s economy.

He lamented that despite being a continent blessed with vast arable land and the potential to be the food basket of the world, Africa’s share of global manufacturing remains less than two per cent, maintaining that Nigeria has no excuse not to be at the forefront of reversing this reality, hence the need to create a more enabling environment where local firms can thrive, innovate and compete globally.

The commissioning of the agrochemical plant, according to Shettima, aligns with the Federal Government’s agenda to combat hunger and enhance national food security. He lauded the company for investing heavily in Nigeria since its inception in 2004, saying the action strongly demonstrates resilience, foresight and commitment to the growth of the agriculture sector.

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, noted that the firm had made tremendous strides in Nigeria’s agriculture sector, providing total farm solutions, from seeds and fertilisers to tractors and post-harvest processing.

Represented by his deputy, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, the governor said the state government’s presence at the occasion affirmed his administration’s commitment to creating a conducive environment for industries to flourish and thrive within the state.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman of Kewalram Chanrai Group, NG Chanrai, said that the success of Springfield in Nigeria had given the company confidence to expand to other countries.

IN a related development, the Ogun State government is to leverage technology and the Internet to produce, distribute, and generate potable water for residents.

Special Adviser to the Governor on SDGs and Water Resources, Damilola Otubanjo, dropped the hint during an assessment tour of water generation facilities in Abeokuta.

Otubanjo said the state government will continue to pay a lot of attention to quality assurance, adding that there were plans by the government to ensure that the water corporation is not just producing water, but also producing it sustainably.

Her words: “We need to have the process flow to make things more automated, and we need to explore the Internet to see how we can leverage technology to make our processes more efficient.

“There is a need for us to adopt advanced technology, some of the processes are a bit outdated, so we need to look at how we can optimise and make them more efficient.

She said the government was planning to convert its several customers across the state, who are still on flat and post-paid rates to pre-paid rates, stating that the conversion would help the corporation and the state government gain significant value from the water they are producing.

The governor’s aide assured the people of the state of immediate improvement in the distribution of water, affirming that the corporation would do a lot in terms of advocacy and awareness.

On her part, Consultant to the Governor on Water Resources, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Jaji, observed that water production was not limited to Abeokuta, adding that the state has Papa Water Works that supplies Papalanto, Ilaro, and Ifo; Ota 2 that supplies Ota, the Ijebu-Ode Yemoji scheme, and Apoje that supplies water to Ijebu-Igbo and Ago-Iwoye, as well as borehole schemes across the state.

Jaji urged the people to pay their water bills on time, even as she tasked them to report timely information on ruptured pipes to check contamination of the clean water supply.

Chairman of Workers’ Estate, Laderin, Abeokuta, Olatunji Oladapo, commended the state government for showing a willingness to put an end to issues of burst pipes in the locality.