Nigeria Will Regain Lost Glory Through Agriculture
The minister of state for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri has assured that Nigeria will regain her lost glory through Agriculture.
Lokpobiri made this assertion when he visited the Atlantic Shrimps Farm in Badagry, Lagos during his facility tour of the farm.
Senator Lokpobiri said what he saw was very encouraging and assured there is great hope in the Nigerian economy regaining her lost glory once again from Agriculture, far more than it was in yester years.
Atlantic Shrimps Farm is housed in a vast expanse of acquired 170 hectare of land around the Badagry beach with about 120 hectares been utilized. The multi-million shrimps farm houses varied facilities which takes care of the shrimps from its hatchery, nursery stage to the large adult ready for the table for high nutrient meal.
The minister also said he was proud of the massive investment which has not only started ensuring increase foreign earnings, but has generated employment opportunity for over one thousand young Nigerians who make up 90 per cent and 10 per cent foreigners.
“There is a commendable community development of corporate social responsibility such as a Primary Health Care Centre built by the investors” he said
Lokpobiri said that their challenges are being looked into seriously by this new administration and that the federal government has set up an inter-ministerial committee to review the issue of certification for export, and government will do all it can to support and promote their investment in Nigeria.
The minister said, with this renewed interest in the diversification of the economy with Agriculture leading more so with Nigeria holding best potentials for investment and also to make up for the deficit in demand for shrimp, he sent out a Clarion call to all, both Nigerians and foreign interested individuals to invest in Agriculture which is the immediate sure alternative avenue for both wealth creation, employment generation, more so ensured food security and better health for living with the eating of high protein content sea food such as shrimps that is rich for every livelihood.
Earlier, the managing director of the farm, an Indian Mr. Kamlesh Kabra said the $100 million farm established in 2014 deals on fish import, trawling business of fish and wild shrimp for years, but with the federal government directives for all fish importers to go into backward integration to reduce fish import, they went into farmed shrimps in compliance with federal government of Nigeria. Today they farm about 120,000 tons of shrimp annually. They are also strictly compliant with international standards and best management practices. The firm is owned by blend of Dutch, Nigerians, British and Indians.
Credit: Leadership
