The Edo State Investment Promotion Office (ESIPO) – Ease of Doing Business Secretariat recently met with representatives from Reading Bakery Systems and Technopark Group, two companies interested in investing in Edo State’s agricultural sector.

The meeting, which took place recently at ESIPO in Benin City, the state capital, was a follow-up to discussions held at the recent Nigeria Agrofood and Plastprintpack conference in Lagos.

Reading Bakery Systems, a manufacturer of bakery equipment for the snack food industry, and Technopark Group, a packaging machine and equipment company, were led to ESIPO by the president of the Benin Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BENCCIMA), Hon. Austin Atakpu.

The delegation, which also included Ahmed Kamel, manager of Technopark Group, and Rustice Shirima, product manager of Reading Bakery Systems, met with Mr. Kelvin Uwaibi, Managing Director of ESIPO and his team to discuss way forward.

The meeting focused on solidifying plans for the companies’ investments in Edo State’s agricultural sector.

The BENCCIMA president highlighted the success of Edo team in attracting the investors to Edo State following the Agro Food Conference which was facilitated by GIZ recently in Lagos.

He added that the companies have been allocated land at Ikpoba Okha and have received assurances of security from the local community. Their plans include cultivating crops such as cassava, coco yam, sweet potatoes, and maize, with the intention of venturing into processing as well.

Mr. Uwaibi welcomed the BENCCIMA members and expressed gratitude to the GIZ for sponsoring the Edo State team to the conference adding that the Edo State government is willing to support their investments.

“I must express gratitude to GIZ for the support of our team from Edo to participate in the agrofood conference. And as government, we are happy for such positive results that we are seeing just few weeks after the conference. Let me assure that we are ready to support you to operate and expand in Edo,” Uwaibi said.

He also discussed available incentives at both the state and federal levels to facilitate their endeavors adding that Edo State is open for business and is lucky to have a governor who has the political will to ensure investors have a seamless experience in the state. “We are happy to hand hold you and ensure you prosper” he said.

Hon. Austin Atakpu emphasized the importance of the visit and the commitment to move the project forward.

This visit signifies a significant step towards fostering economic growth and agricultural development in Edo State through strategic partnerships and investments.