As Highest Cocoa Producers, Ondo State Is Central to Nigeria’s Diversification Agenda, Says Awolowo

The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr. Segun Awolowo, has stated that Ondo State is central to the zero oil plan of the federal government.

Awolowo expressed this at the weekend in Abuja while playing host to the governor of the state, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu in his office at the Export House.

According to him, Ondo is the state with highest cocoa production in Nigeria and as such, it is pivotal to any successful diversification of the nation’s economy.

The NEPC boss has been at the forefront of pursuing the zero oil plan which has sustained hope of Nigeria’s survival independent of oil and it’s crude which had been its mainstay since Independence.

In many fora, he has aroused the consciousness of states towards the tapping of their numerous resources in order to increase their Gross Domestic Products (GDP) to their benefits and that of the nation.

Awolowo said: “I am proud to host the Ondo State Governor, His Excellency, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, at NEPC’s headquarters, Export House, where we discussed the importance of Ondo State to the Zero Oil Plan and the non-oil export potentials of Nigeria.

” As the state with the highest cocoa production, Ondo state is key to any successful export diversification in Nigeria.

” I was thrilled to hear about the activities in the Ore Industrial park with the move to use cassava in ethanol production, the bitumen production and also the revitalisation of the palm oil plantation in Okitipupa. I am delighted that the Ondo state governor shares my zero oil vision for both Nigeria and his state, and look forward to our continued collaboration.”

On his part, Governor Akeredolu commended the good work of the NEPC boss especially in championing the diversification agenda of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration which has placed the country’s Export on a high vantage.

He spoke about what his administration is doing to support cocoa farmers and other laudable programmes that have impacted tremendously on the people for the past three years.