Agritech Nigeria Osun 2018: Aregbesola Reaches Out To Ambassadors, High Commissioners In Nigeria

Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Kunle Ige delivering a speech on behalf of the State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola 

 

The Executive Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has reached out to all accredited foreign Ambassadors and High Commissioners in Nigeria for their participation in the forthcoming international agricultural exhibition and conference tagged Agritech Nigeria Osun 2018 in Osogbo.

Agritech Nigeria Osun 2018 event is set to hold between 20 and 22 November at the Osogbo Stadium. A meeting with the foreign missions in Nigeria facilitated by the Foreign Trade and Investment Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was held inside Rotunda Hall in the Ministry on Wednesday. A good number of members of Diplomatic Corps turned up for the meeting.

The Governor, who was represented at the meeting by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Kunle Ige, told the diplomats that “the Federal Government of Nigeria and the State of Osun are organising an International Agricultural Exhibition and Conference with the theme: “Transformation of Nigerian Agriculture Through Sustainable Technological Innovation”.

He said that the” Agritech Nigeria Osun 2018 idea came up at a period when the Federal Government of Nigeria was diversifying the Nigerian Economy by enhancing massive influx of Agricultural Investments into the country.

Nigeria is a land of abundant opportunities, the largest market economy in Africa with a population of about 200 million people. 45 million Nigerians are into farming, both small holders and commercial farmers. These farmers need your countries agricultural technologies and innovations to increase their agricultural productions.

“Agritech Nigeria Osun 2018 is an international professional exhibition that offers a meeting place for manufacturers, researchers, investors, academia, purchasers and decision makers representing both local and international interests.

“We are expecting participants around the world, and across the full spectrum of agriculture which include but not limited to Agro-ecology, Agricultural Machinery, Biotechnology, Seedlings, Research Institutes, Green Houses, Marketing and Export Services, Plant Propagation Material, Plasticulture, Turnkey Projects and Knowledge Transfer, Software and Hardware Aquaculture, Fertilizer, Pesticides and Chemicals, Forklifts and Handling Equipment, Livestocks, Dairy and Poultry Farming, Organic Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Technology, Post-Harvest Treatment, Precise Agriculture, Veterinary and others.

The Governor, however, seeks for the participation of foreign countries at the Osogbo event, adding that “we want each country to have its own Pavilion where the country will showcase and exhibit its rich agricultural technology and potentials at the Agritech Nigeria Osun 2018 event, while agricultural and allied companies in your country are also called upon to use this event to exhibit and market their products. ”

Mr. Adekunle Ogunsanya, the Director of Foreign Trade and Investment Division, who stood in for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, called on the accredited Ambassadors and High Commissioners in Nigeria to see the Agritech Nigeria Osun 2018 as an opportunity to explore the potentials inherent in agricultural sector of Nigeria economy especially at a period the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari is diversifying the economy from reliance on oil to agriculture.

To Mr. Saheed Lasisi, who represented Sifax Group, the financier of the Agritech Nigeria event at the meeting, foreign participants would have no problem in haulage and other logistics aspect of the event, as his company has what it takes to take any goods at any location in the world, adding that Sifax Group is into haulage and freight business with rich and reliable networks across the world.

Agritech Nigeria is being organised with different stakeholders in Nigerian economy among whom are Fesco Agalu Nigeria Enterprises Limited, SIFAX Group, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Federal Ministry Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Federal Ministry of Health, National Agricultural Seed Council, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, Nigeria Institute of Social and Economic Research Institute and Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission.

Mr. Ige (middle) discussing with the Acting Ambassador of Israel to Nigeria, His Excellency, Goran Nadav (2nd right)