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The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has commissioned the Edo Fertilizer and Chemical Company Limited, Auchi, a public private partnership between the state government and WACOT Limited, which has the capacity to produce about 60,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer per annum.
The Vice President who was accompanied by the Ministers of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh; and Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, commended the foresight of the Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, for creating the enabling business environment which saw to the revitalization of the fertilizer plant which had been non-functional for about 14 years.
Osinbajo commended WACOT for its foray in the agricultural sector especially in agro-processing and stated that the Buhari administration takes the private sector seriously. “We believe that government resources cannot bring about the rapid roll out we need, especially in the areas of infrastructure and industrial development. It is the private sector that can do so. We are therefore committed to making it easy for businessmen to invest and do business everywhere in Nigeria” he said.
He commended Governor Obaseki for creating an enabling environment for the private sector to invest.
“I must hasten to congratulate the dynamic and far-sighted Governor, as well as the great people of Edo State, on this great achievement. Not only will this boost the local economy, it will also impact the national economy in a significant way. It is, therefore, a gift from Edo State to our great country,” the Vice President said.
In his remarks, Governor Obaseki said that the aim of revitalising the plant was to make the state self-sufficient in food production and enable farmers get fertilizer at affordable prices.
Group Managing Director of TGI Group – parent company of WACOT Limited, Mr. Rahul Savara, in his remarks, stated that the cornerstone of the partnership with the Edo State Government on the fertilizer plant was the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative executed by the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Agency, the policy thrust of Governor Obaseki and support from Fertilizer Producers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) among others.
Speaking on the Group’s continuous investment in the agricultural sector, Mr. Savara stated that “we are strongly committed to the administration’s vision of attaining food self-sufficiency and economic prosperity through agriculture,” adding, ”And we have backed this commitment with action through continuous significant investments and interventions targeted at various agricultural value chains.”
Also commenting at the event, Mr. Ujwal Senapati, Managing Director of WACOT Limited, said: “We will continue to deliver quality agricultural inputs at affordable prices to farmers, and in the near future, we will locally blend crop-specific fertilizer for a diverse range of crops.”
WACOT Limited is a market leader in agro-processing, production and distribution of agricultural inputs including certified seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, etc.
