Sokoto State Governor, Dr. Ahmed Aliyu, has urged the Nigerian Export Promotion Council and the National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria to attract investors to establish an onion processing factory in the state.
The governor also appealed to NEPC and NOPPMAN to use their influence to bring investors to Sokoto, not just for onions but also for garlic processing.
Aliyu made the call on Tuesday during a courtesy visit by NOPPMAN members, led by their Regional President, Alhaji Mustapha Kadiri, and the Executive Director of NEPC, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni.
The visit came ahead of the association’s upcoming international conference in Sokoto.
The governor expressed his administration’s commitment to supporting investors to boost the state’s economy, particularly in agriculture, where Sokoto is a leading producer of onions.
“We have distributed fertilizers and farming inputs to our farmers free of charge, a first in the history of Sokoto State.
“We have also initiated irrigation farming in several local government areas to further boost agricultural activities,” he said.
In his remarks, NOPPMAN National President, Dr. Maitasamu Isa Aliyu, urged Governor Aliyu to ensure the establishment of an onion processing factory, noting that processing the crop locally would significantly improve the livelihoods of the state’s youth.
He lauded the governor for supporting NOPPMAN’s international conference, and described the association as the leading body in Nigeria’s onion industry, working in collaboration with federal agencies to promote agricultural trade.