Green Eagles Agribusiness Solutions Limited recently launched a programme in Lagos, tagged the GreenWealth Project. The aim of the project, it was gathered, was to drive food security in the country.
The project aims to establish integrated farm estates in all the local government areas in the country for crop and livestock farming, and for processing of agricultural products.
Chief executive officer of the company, Taiwo Oluwadahushola, said the project was in line with the Federal Government’s effort to diversify the economy.
Speaking at the launch, Oluwadahushola urged well-meaning Nigerians to invest in the project, which holds tremendous benefits: “The GreenWealth project is an agricultural initiative that not only ensures food security and export prominence, but also sustainable wealth for all stakeholders. Food security has become a more serious issue than ever.
“As a nation, we spend trillions of naira annually on food imports, and now, with the declining foreign earnings, we must act decisively to bridge the local deficit in the production of critical food and cash crops and avert a major imminent food crisis.
“Our research has shown that agribusiness alone has the potential to contribute up to N402 trillion to the nation’s GDP, if we, as a people, can bring key industrialisation and innovations such as the GreenWealth Project to play at a national scale.
“The project is set to spearhead the creative restructuring and innovation required to achieve this goal. In achieving this goal, we will facilitate the establishment of integrated farm estates of at least one thousand hectares each in every local government area across the federation.
“This is to yield a rapid increase in crops and livestock, which is produced round the year at significantly lower production costs, until we achieve equilibrium of demand and supply at consistently lower prices.”
He stated that the project will provide sustainable livelihoods for millions of rural dwellers and unemployed youths as well as sustainable returns for sponsors.
“Farmers will be organised into co-operative structures, trained and sponsored to achieve the project objectives. The Integrated Farm Estates will create sustainable livelihood opportunities for at least three million people along the food chain from farm to table, while stirring up unprecedented economic prosperity in and around rural communities across Nigeria.”
Managing Director of the firm, Adebola Adetayo asserted that the project would drive Nigeria to economic prosperity.
Adetayo said the project, which will be in two phases, will first attain national food security, while the second phase will facilitate the achievement of export prominence in crops, where the nation has agro-ecological advantage.
“Our projections show we can assure an annual return of 30 per cent to sponsors, that is, 15 per cent every six months. At the end of each investment circle, a sponsor may request for a roll over or principal repayment,” she added.
A director at the company, Dr. Emmanuel Ijewere, also noted that the project had the answer to Nigeria’s problems.
He stated that it was high time Nigerians took action and made agriculture a major source of livelihood.
“Let us eat what we grow and grow what we eat. Let us shock ourselves and start doing the right thing, ” he advised.