Ogun To Partner French Company To Enhance Food Sufficiency, Security

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has disclosed that his administration would partner SEMMARIS, a French Company, in setting up a modern agricultural hub as part of efforts to ensure food sufficiency, safety as well as job creation.

SEMMARIS runs the Rungis Farmers’ Market which is regarded as the largest wholesale market located in Rungis Communes, Paris, France.

The governor who spoke while playing host to the Regional Agriculture Counsellor of the French Embassy, Sonia Darraco and the Head of International Projects of SEMMARIS, Mr. Timothee Witkowski and his team at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, said the project would be a game changing opportunity for the state and the south western part of the country.

He said: “We look forward to the partnership with SEMMARIS. I beg amongst others in terms of food safety, food security, job creation and he entire Value Chain that the level of quality assurance that will follow will be remarkable.

“What we saw at the Rungis market was different grades of produce and how pricing followed without neccesarily having price tags. We believe this is also an opportunity waiting to be tapped.

“I must commend the dream, successful implementation of objectives, the organization of the market and what you have achieved since the time it was established in 1969 and it has evolved over time.

“It is clearly and extremely organized with all aspects of logistics taking into consideration. The environmental impact, transportation, the way the whole place is segmented out, the perishable section where you have vegetables, meat section and even those that provide other services including banking and hotels, among others. I must say that my team and l were extremely impressed.”

Prince Abiodun emphasized that apart from business interest, the meeting further strengthened the recent visit of President Bola Tinubu to France aimed at improving the existing relationship between Nigeria and France as well as finding partners to work with various sectors, including agriculture.

“The meeting we are holding this afternoon, Mr. President has pledged full commitment to the implementation much sooner than later as it fit into Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agriculture Agenda in his efforts to ensure that he stem food inflation and ensure that we have food sufficiency, food security and of course, food safety while at the same time creating jobs and opportunities along the entire Value Chain,” he said.

The Ogun State, the governor noted, is a major arterial connecting the financial capital of Nigeria to the rest of the country, adding that it is currently the world largest producer of cassava, largest producer of eggs in Nigeria, first in rice production in the south west and first in non oil revenue due to large deposit of limestone and 80 percent arable land.

While calling on the company to take advantage of the potentials that abound in the State, the State helmsman said Ogun’s geographical location and gas reticulation are some of the attractions that lead to influx of industries into the State.

Speaking, the Regional Agriculture Counsellor, French Embassy, Sonia Darraco, said Rungis market, the biggest food market in the world is ready to invest in the country and Ogun State because its potentials would be an excellent staring point.

In his remarks, Head of International Projects, SEMMARIS, Mr. Timothee Witkowski, said the vision of his organization is to be a strategic partner to Ogun State by working in partnership with the administration to support the development of the modern agricultural hub in the State.

“We believe this modern hub will be a game changing project in agriculture food chain in Nigeria. We also believe that it would be an excellent flagship project for the French -Nigerian collaboration.

“Starting with Ogun State is a good idea because we believe that Ogun as a state gathers all the necessary elements to make the project a success because of the location. It is one of the most vibrant corridors in Nigeria and also in the region and Africa.

“We see that you have a strong vision for your state and we will like to be your partner. We have a lot of ideas and have proposed to you technical steps for the way forward. We will like to support you as your technical and strategic partner,” he concluded.