The Minister of Women’s Affairs, Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has pledged the Federal Government’s support for the N85 million multipurpose agricultural factory for Cross River women.
Kennedy-Ohanenye made the pledge on Tuesday at the inauguration of the factory in Asiak Obufa Ayanganse Community in Akpbuyo Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
The factory, christened ‘Mother Elizabeth Multipurpose Factory’ is a palm oil processing mill, comprising sections for nut cracking and cassava processing (garri), sachet water production among others.
The factory is owned by the Mansion of Blessedness Women’s Group in Cross River.
Represented by Mrs Angeleen Nkwocha, a Director in the Child Department of the ministry, she said the ministry was happy that such women were committed in pulling their resources together to achieve such laudable initiative.
She said the massive investment would boost food availability in the state and nation at large.
“We highly commend the efforts of this group and will do all we can to support and collaborate with you to ensure the sustainability of this laudable initiative.
“We are overwhelmed, knowing that you sourced this funds from amongst your group.
“So, we will seek areas of interventions because we know that this factory will create jobs which will assist in reducing unemployment,” she said.
Responding, leader of the group, Mrs Glory Oho, disclosed that the National Assembly Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) and Cross River Basin Development Authority, (CRBDA) had also expressed readiness to support the factory.
Oho said to raise the initial N40 million with which the factory was started, each member contributed the sum of N10,000, adding that on completion of the project, they had spent over N85 million to purchase necessary machines.
According to her, “we are complying with the federal government’s call on all to return to farming and boost food security and we have sorted out issues with the host community.
“For the raw materials, we have three hectares of palm fruits plantation established in 1960 by the woman whom the factory is named after, Mother Elizabeth Obu,” she said.
Similarly, Mr Nyam Bissong, Chairman of Oil Palm Growers Association of Nigeria, (OPGAN), Cross River Chapter, said the factory would touch lives for generations, adding that it would boost palm oil milling business beyond the state.
Represented by Mr Donatus Owan, a member of the association, Bissong noted that they were ready to train the women in palm oil production, nurturing palm trees for better yields as well as branding for traceability.