Lucky Obukohwo Reporting
The Edo State Commissioner of Business, Trade, and Cooperatives, Hon Afie Braimoh, has said reviving the moribund Uromi Cassava Plant would boost the economy activities in the area and in the state at large.
She disclosed this at the handover ceremony in Benin, the Edo State capital
The new investor is M-Hiver Nigeria Limited, a manufacturing concern fully owned by an indigene of Uromi.
Speaking on behalf of the government, Hon Braimoh assured that the new arrangement will not only give the cassava plant a new lease of life but also generate jobs and businesses to those in the value chain.
She said, “There are so many by-products of the cassava value chain and it is expected that when the plant is fully operational, the benefits will accrue to everyone. The plant had been idle and dormant for decades.
” As you know, the war in Ukraine and Russia has significantly reduced the supply of wheat. Cassava is a perfect alternative to wheat.
“We have companies which have shown interest in investing in the production of ethanol and others. It is time to revive the Cassava Plant and allow Edo people to start reaping the benefits of the facility”
The commissioner further acknowledged that the core private investor, Dr. Mike Iseghohi, the owner of M-Hiver Nigeria Limited and also a native of the Uromi, along with his team has assured the government of their readiness to reactivate the plant as soon as possible as well as provide jobs for the youths across the state
The commissioner commended Dr. Iseghohi while portraying him as a “practical and handy tool” in the race to put Uromi on the industrial map of Nigeria through his involvement in the revival of the Uromi Cassava Plant.
She also expressed her ministry’s gratitude to him for helping to bring to fruition the efforts of her ministry to make the state the preferred destination point for business investments
On his part, Dr. Iseghohi said the work to revive the plant is in full swing, saying it is regrettable the way government inaction resulted in making the Cassava Plant, constructed in 2008, lie fallow for a long period.
He, however, insisted that his team is prepared to energize the plant and to get it running within the shortest possible time because, according to him, cassava is a very important product in this part
“There are many by-products we need to get into the market from this place. The plant will generate at least thirty percent employment for the youths in the axis. Farmers can also return to their farms to increase their yield. Overall, the state and the people will be the greatest beneficiaries”.
He submitted that the company will ensure that the Cassava Plant becomes fully operational in the next one year, adding all hands are on the deck to realize this objective
Truth Live News reports that the Uromi Cassava Plant was established by the Chief Lucky Igbinedion administration to help industrialize that part of the state noted for its mass production of cassava.