Edo Says It’s Now Nigeria’s Number  One Oil Palm-producing State

•Obaseki to deliver keynote at 2024 Oxford Africa Conference

Edo State yesterday announced that it was now Nigeria’s number one oil palm producer, contributing about 12 per cent of the country’s aggregate palm oil production. It said the feat followed reforms in the agriculture sector by the governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.

Edo State is closely followed by Akwa-Ibom and Cross River, which contribute between five and eight per cent, the state said.

The government said through the Edo State Oil Palm Programme (ESOPP), it aimed to de-risk the oil palm value chain by providing contiguous land to investors for sustainable production.

It stated that it had allocated over 70,000 hectares of land for oil palm development and attracted over $500 million in investment, the largest of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa.

Apart from Okomu and Presco, the two largest agricultural companies quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Edo State said it had over 10 companies that had been allocated land, including Dufil Prima Foods, makers of Indomie Noodles; Saro Oil Palm; Flour Mills Nigeria Plc; an American Company called Fayus, and Saturn Farms, among others.

Chief Executive Officer of Foremost Development Services Limited, an intermediary organisation to Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in Nigeria, the global body responsible for promoting responsible oil palm production,  Fatai Afolabi, said the new feat was a reflection of the reforms by the Obaseki administration to boost oil palm development.

According to him, “Today, Edo State is the number one oil palm producing state in Nigeria, contributing about 12 per cent to the aggregate oil palm production in Nigeria, with the closest being Akwa-Ibom and Cross River State, who are contributing between five and eight per cent.”

He added, “This is the progress the state has made between when Governor Obaseki made his commitment to develop oil palm and now.”

Following the success of phase one of the ESOPP Programme, the state governor recently unveiled plans for the launch of phase two of the programme with an additional 47,000 hectares of land to be allocated to new and prospective oil palm investors in the state.

Meanwhile, Obaseki would deliver the keynote address at the 2024 Oxford Africa Conference, scheduled to hold between May 24 and 25, 2024, in the United Kingdom.

The governor will, at the conference hosted by the Oxford University Africa Society, speak on the theme, “Unlocking Africa’s Potential: The Power of Public-Private Partnerships.”

He will be sharing his unique approach to governance, leveraging public-private partnerships, and the extensive impact it had made on the development of Edo State over the last seven years.

In a letter of invitation signed by President of Oxford University Africa Society, Isatou Bokum, the university said Obaseki’s unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities inherent in Africa’s development journey was highly sought after and will undoubtedly enrich the intellectual depth of discussions at the conference.

He noted: “Over the past decade, the Oxford Africa Conference, hosted by the Oxford University Africa Society (AfriSoc), has become a flagship event on the African calendar. It is a dynamic platform for students and global leaders to engage in impactful discussions on the continent’s future.

“Distinguished speakers have consistently contributed invaluable insights, leaving a lasting imprint on Africa’s developmental landscape. In our quest for growth and innovation, the 2024 conference proudly introduces the theme, “Charting Africa’s Path Forward: A Journey of Possibilities.”

“This carefully chosen theme reflects our enduring commitment to Africa’s development and our deep-rooted partnership with stakeholders across the continent and in the Diaspora.

“Your visionary leadership and transformative initiatives in Edo State, Nigeria, deeply resonate with the conference theme.

“We believe that sharing your unique approach to governance, leveraging public-private partnerships, and the extensive impact it has made on the development of Edo State over the last seven years will add significant value to this year’s Oxford Africa Conference.”