Ibadan – An Australian agro-processing company has acquired 50 hectares of land for the purpose of investing in agriculture in partnership with the Oyo State Government.
Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State disclosed this while receiving Mr Paul Lehmann, the Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria in Ibadan.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the new entrant was one of the many Australian companies that had signed agreements with the state government.
They had entered into partnership agreements with the government in mining, agriculture, education and vocational training.
Ajimobi said that his administration had put in place necessary machinery and the enabling environment for the businesses to thrive.
“We have signed an agreement with an Australian company on mining, agriculture, education and vocational training.
“We have also allocated 50 hectares of land to one of the companies in Australia for agro-processing.
“With your visit today (Thursday), the relationship between Oyo State Government and Australia will be further fortified.
“Oyo State is the most advantageously-positioned state and it is best suited for agriculture being a savannah region.
“Oyo State is potentially a state of logistics, with a savannah temperate region and with the highest concentration of research institutes for sustainable agricultural development.
“It is also a potentially-developed state for mining, with the availability of marbles, calamine and identified areas for gold, “ he added.
The governor said that his recent working visit to Australia had given him the confidence and assurances that the partnership would enhance the social-economic development of the state.
In his remarks, Lehmann applauded the efforts of the governor to turn around the fortunes of the state through aggressive wooing of foreign and local investors.
He also praised him on his efforts to key into agriculture and other untapped gold mine areas in the state.
Lehmann acknowledged that the governor’s visit to Australia had brought about fruitful agreement between his country and the state for mutually beneficial returns.
He described Ibadan, the state capital, as an internationally-recognised city of culture, mining and industry.
“The visit of your team to Australia is quite appreciated and we are delighted to assure you that the relationship would enhance development in agriculture, mining and industry in Oyo State, “ he said. (NAN)
