BAYELSA STATE CASSAVA AND STARCH PROCESS FACTORY, YENAGOA, ING FACTORY AT EBEDEBIRI FACTORY PLANT AT EVEDEBIRI

Dave Ikiedei Asei

15/05/2019

   

The Bayelsa state government has identified cassava as a viable product within its land area that could create an economic chain and  has decided investing to grab chunk of the $500m starch import market per year.

As a follow up to the above, the Seriake Dickson led administration decided to plot a way out of oil and Gas dependency and adopted a tripod period: Capacity building, Critical infrastructure in Agriculture, and Linkages.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources under the leadership of Honourable Doodei Agbabou Week has taken the bull by the horn and has performed creditably by making sure that this great Project comes into reality.

The factory at Ebedebiri in Sagbama Local Government Area, Bayelsa State is being handled by OSTERTRADE, Consultants. This is indeed a high-tech industry that will help to reduce Bayelsa State Government’s dependence on federal Allocation mainly from the proceeds from crude oil and Gas.

The aim of Governor Dickson for setting up this gigantic factory is to create a local economy on Agriculture, outside oil and gas. The state is doing cassava industrialization Scheme because Nigeria spends $500 per year to import starch according to available statistics, but at the same time, Nigeria is highest producer of cassava in the world. That is why the government is building this starch factory based on 1500 cassava out-growers of 2 hectares per person. We need 220 mt of cassava per day or equivalent of seven hectares per day”.

When completed and fully operational, this single project will create employment for thousands of unemployed graduates and others and it will increase the internally generated income (IGR) of the State.

Thus, it shall come to pass under the able leadership of Honourable Doodei Agbabou Week as the Commissioner in charge of the Agriculture Ministry and our amiable and visionary Governor Henry Seriake Dickson, the jinx of lack of industries and dependence on Oil and Gas money from the federation account to pay salaries and other developmental programmes and project would be broken.

Bravo, Honourable Doodei Week!

Bravo, Governor Henry Seriake Dickson!

Bravo, the good people of Bayelsa State!