Notore seeks OPS support for Nigeria’s agric development
Notore Chemical Industries Limited has called on major players in the Organised Private Sector (OPS) to join hands in promoting the growth of the Nigerian agricultural sector.
The fertiliser manufacturing company stressed that the support of all segments of the private sector is essential in ensuring that the sector effectively played its role of driving inclusive economic growth in a nation with projected population of 250 million people by the year 2025.
The company noted that financial institutions, equipment manufacturers, insurance companies, trade and commerce bodies and all other crucial arms of the private sector had significant roles to play in the emergence of Nigerian agriculture.
Notore restated its commitment to driving the agricultural sector in order to reduce dependency on crude oil to create an avenue to promote non-oil export in the country.
It stressed the need for Nigeria to diversify its revenue base stating that agriculture has the capacity to transform the economy if given the desired attention it deserves.
The Chief Executive Officer, Notore Chemical Industries Limited, Mr. Onajite Okoloko stated that Notore will increase production to close to 2 million metric tons, with plans to build additional capacity by 2015.
He added that Notore had achieved the nameplate capacity of its plant, reaching the highest levels of daily production.
According to him, after the successful completion of scheduled turnaround maintenance, its plant has experienced improved performance and increased consistency of operations, and said Notore is working to sustain these records.
Okoloko said, ' We are ready to support the Federal Government and the Ministry of Agriculture to achieving the goals of the Transformation Agenda. We plan to grow capacity to meet the needs of the Nigerian farmers.'
'Notore's growth will meet up to 50 per cent of Nigeria's fertiliser requirements' he assured the Minister at the end of the visit.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Dr Akinwumi Adesina recently expressed optimism for the future of agriculture in Nigeria stating that Notore's efforts are well aligned with his ministry's Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS), a strategy seeking to improve the delivery of Government subsidy on farm inputs to smallholder farmers, replacing the previous government procurement process.
'This policy is aimed at directly reaching 20 million farmers through improved delivery of government subsidy on farm inputs over the next 5 years,' the Minister said.
The Minister stated 'Notore is one company I believe Nigeria can be really proud of. This is a well-structured, well-led, and well-directed company. This is a success story that should be told.'
'Agriculture is not about development. It is not just about food. It is about a complex value chain of entrepreneurs that continue to provide services, grow food and add value to harvest all the way from the farm until it gets to the table of the consumer,' he further opined.
'As Minister of Agriculture, I am very proud indeed of the decision to take government out of the procurement and distribution of fertiliser as the right decision. Fertilisers are very important but are one part of the requirements for successful harvest. We believe that the private sector would better manage the process of getting fertilisers and the other inputs to the smallholder farmers who make up a great population of the farming community in Nigeria.'