As Cross River State commenced test running its newly established feed mill at the weekend, Governor Ben Ayade has charged management of the Nigeria Export Import (Nexim) Bank to partner with the state in its agro industrial revolution.Located at the Ayade Industrial Park along Goodluck Jonathan Bypass in Calabar, the feed mill is one of the latest factories built by the Ayade-led administration that is ready for commissioning.

The governor, who witnessed the test-run with management of NEXIM Bank, which also toured the 24,000 birds per day frozen chicken factory and the noodles factory, urged the bank to demonstrate Nigeria’s potentials in the state.“We are a serious-minded people. Nexim Bank has an opportunity to partner with us in building Cross River State to showcase Nigeria’s potentials and capabilities that the country can actually be great,” he said.He said besides shoring up the state’s economic base, the factories would provide jobs for thousands of people.

“From the start to finish, we have been giving jobs to people in massive numbers. This is the way to go and this is agro industrial revolution,” he added.Declaring that the wheel of progress has just begun, Ayade expressed hope that Nexim Bank would support Cross River State to become a major exporter of goods.

Earlier, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Chairman of Nexim Bank’s board, Okwu Joseph Nnanna, expressed joy at the industrial park, affirming that the factories would boost jobs creation and economic empowerment. He said, “We are impressed with what we have seen. Nexim Bank is established to encourage industrial parks of this nature, as well as the factories that are located here. We are happy to support the project because the job creation is fantastic and a game changer.

“If the government of Cross River State has need for financing, they will discuss with the executives of Nexim Bank, for what we have seen here is fantastic and similar to the projects we have financed at the federal level. This is truly impressive given the time it was done.”
Okwu lauded Ayade for establishing the industries, saying, “This is job creation, economic empowerment for men and women, youths and the vulnerable. It is fantastic and there is no where to be compared with this.”

Speaking, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the bank, Abba Bello disclosed that the bank already has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state and as such, was willing to partner with the state.Bello assured that Nexim Bank would support the factories to go into export, as the bank promotes non-oil sectors in support of Federal Government’s economic diversification drive.