Dangote Cement Plc has established and handed over a modern fufu and garri processing facility to the people of Kajola in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The Garri processing section of the facility is equipped with a 5-tonne-per-day peeling machine, two 30-tonne hydraulic presses, two mild frying pans, two stainless steel sieves, all designed to improve productivity and reduce the physical burden associated with traditional processing methods.
The Fufu processing section comprised of eight concrete-tiled fermentation basins with adequate water to support efficient operations .
The Ogun State Government has applauded the cement factory for building the modern fufu and garri processing facility, describing the initiative as a significant contribution to strengthening the cassava value chain, enhancing food security, and creating sustainable economic opportunities for farmers and rural communities.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, at ,Kajola Ewekoro local government area of the State, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Bolu Owotomo, said the facility would promote value addition in cassava production, reduce post-harvest losses, improve product quality, and increase the competitiveness of locally produced food products, noting that the intervention reflects the Dangote Group’s commitment to corporate social responsibility and inclusive economic development.
The Commissioner, explained that the project would stimulate job creation, rural industrialization, wealth generation and overall growth of the agricultural sector in Ogun State and Nigeria at large, stressing that agriculture remained the backbone of Ogun State’s economy and had been repositioned under the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun through strategic policies and programmes designed to make the sector more productive, mechanised and market-oriented.
He highlighted key government initiatives that included the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP), the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), and FADAMA OGCARES, which had contributed significantly to agricultural development across the State, pointing out that under the OGSTEP project, over 16,000 cassava farmers were mobilised and trained in various aspects of agricultural value chain development, while more than 12,400 beneficiaries received production support.
Owotomo, mentioned that the State government subsidised 65 per cent of mechanisation costs for farmers, leaving beneficiaries to pay only 35 per cent, adding that farmers also enjoy a 50 per cent subsidy on critical inputs such as improved cassava stems, fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides, while being linked to off-takers to guarantee market access.
He described the Dangote intervention as apt, saying that the facility would help bridge existing productivity gaps in cassava value chain and improve the livelihoods of farming communities, assuring the company of government’s continued support, and agricultural interventions in the State, which extended beyond cassava to include maize, aquaculture, cocoa, cotton and other products with profitable value chains.
He highlighted the State’s digital agricultural database, the Ogun State Farmers Information Management System (OGFIMS), which had registered over 160,000 farmers, including about 90,000 cassava farmers.
He further explained that the platform also captured aggregators, off-takers, input dealers, suppliers and mechanisation service providers, enabling efficient planning and delivery of interventions while promoting cluster farming across the State.
He expressed optimism that partnerships between the government and private sector organisations such as Dangote Cement Plc would continue to drive agricultural transformation, increase food production and improve rural livelihoods in Ogun State.
Earlier, the Plant Director, Dangote Cement, Ibese, Mr Ayyagari Subbaraidu, said the processing plant was a social investment that represented a significant milestone in the Ibese Plant efforts at promoting sustainable economic development and improving livelihoods within the host community.
Also present at the handing over ceremony was the Olu of Aga Olowo, Oba Adio Kusoro, who appreciated the Dangote Group and the State Government for the gesture, promising to ensure judicious use of the facility.
