Sesame farmers in Ebonyi State have urged Governor David Umahi to build sesame seed processing plant to boost sesame farming in the State.
They said, the plant if established, would be the only one in the South-East region, adding that its economic prospects, especially job creation and revenue generation, could not be overemphasized.
The State Chairman of National Sesame Seed Association of Nigeria (NSSA), Mr Ernest Nwafor who made the appeal during the launching/inauguration ceremony of the Association in Abakaliki at the Akanu Ibiam International Conference Centre,disclosed that the entire South-East and South-South regions had no sesame seed processing
According to him, there are only three Sesame seed processing plants in the whole of Nigeria: two in Kano and one in Lagos. In the whole of Southeast and South-south geopolitical zones, there is no singular sesame seed processing plant.
“Your Excellency, we use this medium to appeal to your good office to establish an ultramodern Sesame seed processing plant in Ebonyi to serve the whole of the former Eastern region and beyond. Sir, the economic prospects and possibilities of this singular investment cannot be underestimated or overemphasized, especially in terms of employment and revenue generation,” Mr Nwafor said.
In his remark, the National President of NSSA, Alh. Sheriff Balogun, said the inauguration of the Association in Ebonyi State couldn’t had come at a better time than now, adding that all hands must be on deck to diversify the country’s economy to the non oil sector with agriculture as the mainstay.
Balogun noted that Ebonyi was the first State in the entire Southern Nigeria to successfully launch and inaugurate her State chapter of the Association, and commended Governor Umahi and the people of the State for embracing Sesame farming.
The Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Umahi who was represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. Nomeh Moses Ogodo-Ali, assured Sesame farmers in the State of government’s readiness to assist and give them enabling environment to operate.
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