Brazilian firm plans $2.5bn livestock investment in Ogun
Ogun State is set to benefit from a $2.5bn investment in livestock production in Nigeria by JBS of Brazil.
The controlling shareholder of the company, Wesley Batista, gave this indication when officials of his firm, led by the controlling shareholder of EMN, Mr John Coumantaros, visited the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta on Sunday.
Coumantaros disclosed that the investment would be in improving the production of beef, pork, chicken in Nigeria.
He said: “We have been talking and learning about Nigeria. We had the privilege to meet the Nigerian delegation in Brazil when President Bola Tinubu visited our country. We see Nigeria as the hub of Africa with a very large population.
“Though it is our first time in Nigeria, we feel that we have a lot of similarities between Brazil and Nigeria. We have a very good impression so far about Nigeria and Nigerians.
“We are serious about coming to Nigeria to invest in beef, pork, chicken, among others. We see growth prospects in Nigeria and what Nigerian leaders are doing in encouraging investors to come and make significant investments here. We can bring our knowledge and expertise to bear in Nigeria’s economy,” Coumantaros said.
According to the Controlling Shareholder, the company, across several countries of the world, processes 80,000 heads of cattle, 15 million chickens, about 25,000 heads of lamb per day.
He added that the company also produces packaged products like sausages and bacon.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission, Aisha Rimi, on her part, said the meeting is a follow-up to the technical team sent by the company to assess the potentials of the State for investment, adding that the company is ready to invest $2.5bn in the next five years in livestock, and Ogun State would be one of the States to benefit.
Responding, Governor Abiodun said the state, with more than 16,000 square kilometers, offers an ideal location for investments as it provides unique connections to the 17 southern states as well as the northern parts of the country.
“We have provided, in terms of infrastructure, 1,000 kilometers of highways and the best-constructed airport in Nigeria, specially dedicated to agro imports and exports.
“We are number one in non-oil, as two-thirds of the state sits on limestone. Our state is the third-largest producer of cement in Africa, trailing behind Morocco, which is second, and Egypt, which is first.
“The State also has gold, silica, bitumen, and others which are too numerous to mention. We have more gas reticulation than any other state. There are two major gas pipelines that crisscross our state,” he stated.
Governor Abiodun noted that Ogun is going into power generation and distribution, assuring that industries and companies that operate in the State would have access to the cheapest power supply in the country.
On the acquisition of land, the governor said it has been made seamless as land title documents would be made ready within 30 days, assuring that his administration has invested significantly in security to guarantee the safety of lives and properties of those who live and work in the state.
