Emeka Okwuosa fights hunger, unemployment in Anambra …Builds multi-billion naira cassava, tomato plant at Omasi

A new breeze is blowing at Omasi, a community in Ayamelum Local Government Area of Anambra State. And the residents are rejoic­ing.

Hopes of abundant food and massive employment are rising in the state, through an initiative called Ekcel Farm project. Emeka Okwuosa, an industrialist and oil magnate, is the Chairman of Ekcel and the brain behind the gigantic project.

Wednesday, March 11 was the groundbreak­ing ceremony of the $100 million farm project designed to launch the state to greatness. At the event, it was a rain of encomiums for the businessman. Traditional rulers, political heavyweights, including the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano, and businessmen from within and outside the state, stormed the site to witness the flag-off of the event.

The farm is targeted at developing full-scale mechanised agriculture in Anambra.

When it fully commences operation next year, the establishment, according to the gov­ernor, would provide 13, 500 direct jobs and over 100, 000 indirect jobs for indigenes of the community and beyond.

Ekcel Farms Limited is a subsidiary of Oilserv Limited, a venture also owned by the industrialist, Okwuosa. The newly commis­sioned project is expected to facilitate massive agricultural development in the state and foster the economic transformation programmes of the government. The project, which will involve the large-scale commercial produc­tion and processing of cassava and tomato into bi-products for the local and export markets, will consequently pave the way for the state to provide sufficient food for Anambra people.

The agro-allied processing farmland is being set up to commence the local processing of cassava into starch and ethanol, and tomato into tomato paste and ketchup, for both local consumption and for export. The raw materials – tomato and cassava – would be produced in the community.

Another cheering news that Omasi received was that Ekcel would expose the local farmers to the benefits of agricultural research in the areas of crops utilization, land use maximiza­tion and opportunities optimization.

Many indigenes of the state, as well as others who knew Okwuosa, described him as an in­dustrialist of no mean feat, whose interest is to continuously beam the light on every dark part of the society, putting smiles on the faces of the downtrodden in the state and beyond.

It was one monumental mission that not many people would have believed was achiev­able in the near future. But with the ground­breaking ceremony, such sceptics had been forced to believe that the project was doable. And Okwuosa has vowed not to look back until Omasi becomes a major food basket.

Having envisaged the magnanimity of the project, he acknowledged that he could not do it alone. So, Okwuosa, in September last year, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state government. And since that day, the businessman vigorously worked on the project until it became a reality.

Omasi, as gathered, is blessed with a large expanse of land and rich in natural manure. In fact, a farmer might not necessarily require the use of fertilizer to grow crops in the area. With these natural benefits, the place was a natural choice and the urge to site Ekcel at Omasi became irresistible to Okwuosa and his team.

Already, many tractors and other equipment needed to make farming an enjoyable venture had been procured. And with the other so­phisticated tools that had been ordered and are already being ferried to the site, many people from other parts of the country might start trooping to Omasi village to begin farming.

Okwuosa said he was not just interested in boosting the economy through the project; he was also poised to make farming a pleasurable endeavour for the workers.

Flagging off the N20 billion farm, Obiano reminded the gathering that boosting the agriculture sector for revenue generation was part of his cardinal promises to the people while campaigning for the governorship seat. He promised to continue to create the enabling environment to encourage prospective inves­tors in Anambra.

“Okwuosa is rich and he works very hard for his wealth. We are here for a very important event today. It is the second major agriculture event I would be commissioning.

“When you see the factory that will be pro­ducing this tomato, you will appreciate what we are doing here today. To explain it to the layman, you put a fresh tomato into a process­ing machine and it will be filled in a can. That can will go into a box and package itself for the market.

“Let me tell you why this investment is a blessing to Omasi and Anambra as a whole. When this company starts selling the product, five per cent would be given to this commu­nity, 10 per cent would go to Anambra govern­ment while another five per cent would be dedicated to develop activities in this area, such as health centres, roads and other infrastructure in the community. dedicated to develop activities in this area, such

“I want you to imitate the people of Anaku who have been wonderful hosts to Coched Farms. Since Coched Farms began operations there in May last year, there has not been a single incident between it and the host commu­nity. That is the way I want you to relate with Ekcel Farms,” he said.

Obiano also advised the Omasi people to adopt a very friendly attitude to the farm and treat it as though it belonged to the community.

“I want you to take ownership of this company. Treat it as your own. Lend them a timely hand. They have come to develop and build Omasi and you must help them to do it,” he stated.

Obiano, who was visibly excited, described Okwuosa as a rich and kind man who thrives in humility. He also described him as a world-class investor.

Chairmen from different local government areas of the state witnessed the epoch-making event. Different political and socio-cultural groups were at the event, providing fun and colour to the ceremony. They sang the praises of Governor Obiano and Okwuosa even as they danced in sheer happiness.

Okwuosa explained that the choice of tomato and cassava was determined by the domestic and international demands for the processed agro-allied products. He added that Ekcel would focus on target markets where there are currently supply gaps due to inability to meet high demand.

The chairman revealed that Ekcel Farms would enjoy the benefits of being run with internationally recognised and accepted standards, adding that strong emphasis will be placed on product quality development and control measures.

Okwuosa said he was not a politician but a businessman. He, however, praised Governor Obiano for creating the enabling environment and for encouraging him to begin the mecha­nised farming. He added that the governor was the reason for the gathering and groundbreak­ing ceremony, stressing that his commendation was not a political statement.

He said his mission was to contribute his own quota to help develop the agriculture sec­tor in becoming the bedrock of the Anambra economy. He stated that the project was not just mere farming but a long lasting business outfit that would exist from one generation to another.

“Ekcel Farms, from this day, is a citizen of Anambra and would put its best in meeting the global standards already set for itself and the state by Obiano’s administration. We are here to stay and for good,” he said.

Okwuosa explained that Ekcel Farms became interested in Anambra when it realized that the governor’s economic blueprint was not a political gimmick but a true blueprint to develop the state.

Said he: “It became obvious from the way he went about tackling the challenge of insecurity in the state. If Anambra were not secure, Ekcel Farms would not be here today. Most investors like me will not invest in any place where we do not feel secure. The governor had yet to spend a full year in office but he had recorded tremendous achievements, and we can imagine what will happen in the next few years.

“We are not just here to farm but to set up an industrial and mechanized agriculture business. The whole aim is to cultivate, process and market cassava and tomato products. It is obvi­ous that agriculture needs to be developed to become the bedrock of the economy.”

He announced that from the experience his company had gathered from operating in other parts of the country, it had developed a com­munity engagement model that would help to strengthen its ties with the host community.

He said: “We shall help the community to develop cooperatives and encourage local farmers to cultivate cassava which we shall take from them for processing. This will help the community generate instant revenue.”

Okwuosa further disclosed that when fully operational, the farm would be producing 21,000 tons of cassava per annum while it would produce 150,000 tons of raw tomato and 51,000 tons of tomato paste, which, he noted, were quite substantial.

“When we set up this plant, it would look like an oil refinery. It is a massive plant. In the next six months, we shall be fully on ground here. We expect also that within 12 and 18 months from now, the plant will be fully set up here. This plant requires being built overseas and shipped to Omasi for installation. But we will commence cultivation prior to that time. We are not in this business for the short term. This is a business that will last for decades. I must thank the governor whose vision and drive made it possible for us to come here today,” Okwuosa said.

Why should anyone invest in Anambra? Okwuosa gave the reasons as availability of competent labour, a huge market, government policies that make businesses grow and many other friendly factors.

Said he: “World class talent, trained, self-motivated and hardworking labour force drawn from a reformed educational sector that made the best 2013 and 2014 West African Examina­tion Council/Senior School Certificate Exami­nation (WAEC/SSCE) results in Nigeria.

“There is a huge market and marketing network hub cascading half of Nigeria and countries of the Central African Region. Al­most a billion deals on different businesses are closed in Anambra on monthly basis.

“It is the second largest population of people with disposable in Nigeria, a ready to buy populace. It is the state with the deepest and widest network of roads in Nigeria that has for the first time conquered the urban-rural communication dichotomy, therefore, making moving resources easier.”

Okwuosa said the race to build Ekcel was not for him alone. Bankers and other business developers had been involved in order to move the business to enviable heights.

The Chairman of Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency (ANSIPPA), Cyril Nwabunwanne Enweze, said Okwuosa investment in the state was a display of his confidence in the Obiano administration. He pointed out that the level of safety the state was enjoying was responsible for the numerous investments coming into the state.

He expressed optimism that the arrival of Ekcel Farms would attract more investors to Anambra State. He charged other business­men in the state to emulate the oil magnate and invest in Anambra to move the state forward.

A member of the community, Uchena Al­fred, told this reporter that Okwuosa was God’s sent to bless people of the community.

His words: “It is difficult to find another person like Okwuosa, because he has a large heart. I have heard what he has done in other communities in Anambra but I never knew my village would benefit from his large-heart­edness. I pray that God will continue to bless him and provide him the right people who can manage the place very well for him.”

Another indigene of Omasi, Mrs. Chukwudi Agnes, said she would be interested in working at the farm, adding that youths at the village would no longer have any reason to remain idle.

“This is a blessing to my village. Jobs will be surplus for us now. It is only God who can reward this man that brought  this company to Omasi,” she said.

Written by Job Osazuwa

 Photo: Okwuosa middle as Umeh and Obiano exchange banters