By Bimbola Bamgbose
The Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has expressed the state’s readiness to partner with Brazilian food giant, José Sobrinho, with over seven decades of experience.
Sobrinho is the world’s largest producer of animal protein and the second-largest food company globally. The company specializes in processing beef, pork, lamb, and chicken, as well as producing convenience and value-added foods.
Governor Abiodun announced during a meeting at his Oke-Mosan office in Abeokuta with the Managing Director of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, NIPC, Aisha Rimi, and Sobrinho officials, including Fabio Maia, Director of International Operations, and Osorio Dal Bello, Head of Poultry and Swine.
He affirmed Ogun State’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for global companies like JBS, adding that the state’s strategic location and infrastructure make it the ideal partner for such ventures. “Sobrinho cannot find a better state in Nigeria to partner with,” Governor Abiodun said, emphasizing that Ogun State offers a dedicated livestock production zone and leads the country in agro-processing development.
The governor highlighted Ogun’s status as one of six agro-processing zones established by the Federal Government and noted that the state slaughters between 10,000 and 15,000 cattle daily to meet the protein demands of neighbouring Lagos State, with many of these cattle sourced locally.
Governor Abiodun also revealed plans for a ten-million-dollar partnership with a Moroccan firm focused on palm oil by-products and announced the imminent launch of a timber processing zone. Additionally, the state recently established its inland port to facilitate manufacturing and accelerate industrial growth.
Speaking during the visit, Fabio Maia lauded Ogun State’s business-friendly environment, citing the rapid industrial growth along the Abeokuta-Sagamu expressway. Maia disclosed JBS’s plans to invest two point five billion dollars in Nigeria, which includes building three chicken processing plants, two cattle plants, and one swine plant.
Aisha Rimi, the NIPC Managing Director, highlighted the visit as a follow-up to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent trip to Brazil, where a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, was signed with Sobrinho to enhance livestock production. She noted that the Sobrinho team is currently conducting feasibility studies and project development plans in Nigeria.
The collaboration underscores Ogun State’s growing reputation as a hub for agro-industrial investment and sets the stage for significant economic growth in the state’s agricultural and manufacturing sectors.
Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels and also join our Whatsapp Update Group
