Fayemi unveils N5 billion snail farm in Ekiti

To produce 2.6m kilo of snail annually generates 5000 jobs

Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, has inaugurated a snail farm worth N5 billion at Okemesi in Ekiti West Council of the state.

The farm, owned by Dem Eli Farms and Farmkonnect, a consortium of agricultural firms, has been described as the second-largest snail farm in the world, second to Cyprus, and biggest in Africa.

Unveiling the Egbeja Snail Village yesterday, Fayemi said the farm would create 5,000 jobs when fully operational.

Fayemi assured that the state government was determined to make Ekiti a commercial hub for agribusiness, saying he had demonstrated this by attracting over $100m public-private driven agro-allied investments to the state within two years.

To further boost direct investments, the governor said investors applying for Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) would get it within 50 days with a tax holiday.

Fayemi pledged to put Ekiti on the map of exporters through agricultural businesses and investments, adding that the government would commission more private businesses in the year.

“This project is the first of its kind in Ekiti. It will stock 2.6 million snails for the production of snails and slime for export into the international market. It will provide easy market and foreign exchange earnings, as well as generate employment opportunities for our youth.

“Production of snail and slime in exportable quantities will put Ekiti on the world map. When completed, it will generate no fewer than 5,000 jobs for our youths, while also supporting our vision for youth empowerment and technology transfer,” he stated.

He stressed that the state government was passionate about agriculture, which he said was its green investment in Ekiti.

Founder of Farmkonnect, Lt. Commander Azees Oluwole, said when completed, the farm would cover 100,000 square metres of land, making it the biggest investment that could generate employment and create wealth.

Oluwole pointed out that at full capacity, the project could make a profit of N6b yearly with about 82 tons of exportable slime, besides generating thousands of jobs for skilled and unskilled youth.

Chief Executive Officer of Dem Eli Farms and Merchandise, Mrs. Oluranti Ojo, said the vision behind the investment in agribusiness was to boost food security and improve nutrition through agricultural real estate, powered by modern technology and methods.