Enugu secures $20m for livestock investment

Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah says the state has secured about $20 million for investment in livestock and is working on a massive ranch expected “to take over 20,000 cows” He spoke at the Government House in Enugu on Monday while hosting a delegation of the Government of Denmark and Danish businesses led by the […]

Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah says the state has secured about $20 million for investment in livestock and is working on a massive ranch expected “to take over 20,000 cows”

He spoke at the Government House in Enugu on Monday while hosting a delegation of the Government of Denmark and Danish businesses led by the Consul General of the Royal Danish Embassy in Nigeria, Jette Bjerrum.

He restated his government’s commitment to creating a business-friendly environment, de-risking investment and encouraging investors through offtakes.

Mbah said the visit by the Danish delegation was a major boost for his administration’s effort to grow the state’s economy sevenfold to the tune of $30 billion in the next six years.

“We’ve already signed an agreement with the Danish Company, ODK Group, and that agreement is going to see us procure tractors from them. What is also interesting is that they are also willing to have their assembly plant here. But we feel that this is just an entry point.

“We also have over 300,000 hectares secured as landbank for agriculture. So, just as Denmark, agriculture is also our lifeblood. 40 per cent of our economy is predicated on agriculture.

“We equally have an initiative that we are implementing now called Farm Estate, which is across the 260 electoral wards in Enugu. So, each ward is going to have a massive expanse of land that is going to be access-controlled.

“We also plan to create value on those products. So, we are setting up Special Agro-Processing Zones that will come up soon. This is going to be a one-stop shop for manufacturers where you will have everything you need to have for manufacturing like water, access roads, electricity, even the houses and the warehouses. You just plug and play,” Mbah said.

Earlier, Bjerrum, who also doubles as the Head of Trade of the Danish Embassy in Nigeria, said Denmark was eager to expand its business interests in Enugu State.

She said their interest was inspired by shared values with the Enugu State Government such as transparency, accountability and inclusivity, and Mbah’s speech at an event in Lagos.

She said: “People google all the bad stories, but we want them to know the good stories too; to say this (Enugu State) is also Nigeria, and this is where good people build trust and work with transparency, accountability, and traceability.

“We are here to figure out how we can help to improve on them more. We have Danish companies here. We have the group that is supplying the first tractors. We have a new tractor assembly centre. So, how do we get more Danish companies to come here, establish themselves and work together with Enugu citizens? That’s why we’re here.

“We come from a country of waste to power, wind and solar energy. We know you cannot do it in a day, but we would like to know how to support the process, and then capacity building. The low hanging fruits will be in agriculture because that is what we do. That will also include logistics and so forth.”