World Food Day: Oyo Pledges Continuous Support For SMEs, As Abisal Foods Commissions Hub
•••Distributes Food Items To Farmers, Others In Lagelu
•By Oyeniyi Awojoodu, Ibadan
IBADAN – The Oyo State Government has on Friday pledged continuous support and collaboration for the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the State, just as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Abisal Megatop Limited, the mother parent of Abisal Foods Limited, Ambassador Omowunmi Dauda commissioned agribusiness and food processing hub aimed at assisting the SMEs, young, female and the vulnerable food processors in the country.
Representing the state government at the commissioning of the hub located at Sukuru Village, Iyana Offa, Lagelu Local Government, Ibadan, the chairman of Oyo State Agency for Youth Development, Prince Adebowale Falana Adebayo noted that the state Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde has given him the mandate to run an open door policy in order to ensure that youth with lofty ideas and initiatives are adequately carried along.
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Prince Adebowale Falana who was conducted round the newly commissioned agribusiness facility by Ambassador Omowunmi Dauda commended Abisal Megatop Limited for the provision of the food processing machines and equipments needed for smooth running of businesses in Lagelu Local Government and the state at large.
Adebowale in his words said, “We are ready to partner or collaborate with any youths that have ideas on any fieldy of their choices and this is not limited to agribusiness alone, we’ve been doing this in other aspects like entertainment, sports, digital skills, skills acquisition. All these things we’ve been doing are in line with Governor Makinde’s vision.
“Governor Makinde has gave us the mandate to make sure that youths in various sectors with different skills and creative ideas should be supported so they can thrive in their chosen professions. So when Abisal came into our office and said she want to celebrate the world food day, she also told us that she has a business ideas and initiative and want us to be part of her project, we really appreciate her, and we promised to be here today just to give her the moral support, as well to encourage her.
“We need to encourage her to grow and that is why we took that long journey from Secretariat down here, and getting here what we saw is worth commending, we’ve given her words that we are going to support her, to make agribusiness more conducive for her, we’ll support her with little resources we have and I have told her to come up with exact areas she needs us to be of help to her.
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“What I saw here as chairman of agency for youth development is very encouraging, it worth commending, is a good thing that the youths in the state are coming into agribusiness because everybody can’t go into oil and gas, everybody can’t do white collar job, the few ones that are ready to go into this, we are ready to support them. Adebowale said.
Earlier in her welcome address, Ambassador Omowunmi Dauda who also doubles as the Managing Director of Abisal Megatop Limited commended Oyo State government for their support which resulted to the successful outcome of the event.
Omowunmi said, “Abisal Megatop Limited, Abisal is a Limited Liability Company that processes food into finished product for long shelflife, thereby meeting the local and international standard for people to eat their food as their medicine.
She said, “Today we just commissioned our hubs in order to be more committed to training of our youth and women including the vulnerable in our society and also to be able to commercialized our farm produces. Also today in our little efforts to ensure food sufficiency we’ve distributed maize seeds for our farmers, we equally distributed our packaged products and other food items, we did this to commemorate the world food day and to also make our people happy.
“This newly commissioned hub will enable us to work with other various agribusinesses stakeholders to achieve food security in the country. The hub will be center of training for our youth, empowering SMEs, for instance some SMEs that do not have the equipments needed to process their food can bring it to our hub, process it and package it with their own branding because we have in here all the machines needed for food processing such as milling, grinding, dryer, fryer, pressers, sealing machine among others.
“In the next five years I’m seeing Abisal feeding the whole Nigeria, and in the next seven years I’m seeing us feeding the whole Africa and in the next 10 years I’m seeing us feeding the whole world, I’m calling on various stakeholders to join me in expanding this out brand, to join me in sustainable agriculture for the whole world.
“Government need to come to aid of the SMEs, especially the agribusiness SMEs, they should help in farming and processing, because majority of us who are into farming don’t have access to machines and other equipments needed for food processing, that will not encourage us to do more, but with government’s support this will reduced the wastage we usually have in every harvesting periods.
“So if government can come to our aide by providing all the equipments needed for us in each region, just like the one we commissioned now, if we can have this type in all our local governments across the country where people can go and process their food at a subsidized rate, then there will be enough food for the entire people and there will be job opportunities for everyone in the agribusiness value chain.
“Am also using this medium to applaud the state commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Barrister Olasunkanmi Olaleye for his partnership. The commissioner gave us some maize seeds which we distributed to our farmers and we are hoping they’re going to use it wisely for the next planting season.
“So also, I’m equally applauding the Chairman of Oyo State Agency for Youth Development, Prince Adebowale Falana who was here today to support us, he has pledged to support youth oriented Programmes such like ours, he even promised to see how they can be of help to our female farmers and the youths that are into farming in Lagelu Local Government here, and we are also going to do all we can to ensure we collaborate with their office to ensure we key into his vision of building a better society through youths empowerment.”Omowunmi Dauda said.
In his remarks one of the stakeholders of Abisal Megatop Limited, Mr Eyitayo Adedeji Adeleke said Abisal is known for supporting the vulnerable in the society.
He said, distribution of food is not even enough to tackle food insecurity, noting that Abisal is committed to distribution of safe foods for the vulnerable and empowering the farmers to ensure food sufficiency.
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Speaking on behalf of the traditional rulers at the event, Oba Adebowale Aderemi JP, Onilaaduntan of Laduntan urged all and sundry to keep supporting homegrown products.
He said, “it is time we start considering our locally produced items, by doing so we are supporting our indigenous products and manufactures, this will definitely help us to grow our economy.
“Our government should also continue to support our farmers by supporting them with provision of linking roads for easy movement of farm produce. The monarch said.
Dignitaries at the event include Baale Agbe of Lagelu, Chief Oyabunmi Fatai, representative of Jagun Balogun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Otun Baale Agbe of Oyo State, Alhaji Kadiri Isiaka, the Patron of Agbe of Lagelu, Chief Ajiboye Saka; the National Public Relations Officer of National Cotton Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Kasali Abdulahi, among others.