17th September, 2020
By Nimot Adetola Sulaimon
Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola has flagged off the construction of Osun Ethanol Bio-Refinery Factory situated at Ayekale, along Egbeda-Iragbiji road, Iragbiji, Osun State.
Laying the foundation of the factory on Thursday, Oyetola said his administration was poised to deliver the benefits of democracy.
The Factory was part of the positive responses received by the government from members of the private sector, particularly local and foreign investors who had earlier been wooed during the Osun Economic and Investment Summit held late last year.
Gov. Oyetola said the administration would endeavour to collaborate with partners, private investors to make Osun state the industrial hub of the Southwest.
He expressed confidence in the factory’s ability to complement the government’s efforts at resuscitating the ailing economy of the state and deliver prosperity to the people.
“Today is an important day in the life of our administration and the annals of this State as it marks the groundbreaking of another project harvested from the Osun Economic and Investment Summit which was convoked in November last year to reposition the economy of the State and deliver prosperity to the people.
“Coming shortly after the harsh economic realities occasioned by the Coronavirus pandemic, this flag-off is an indication that our strategy for the delivery of economic prosperity has begun to yield good returns and a sign of the good things to come. We have no doubt that Osun Ethanol Bio-Refinery Factory will open a window of investment opportunities for the State.
“As you all know, our administration is in a hurry to transform the state and deliver prosperity to our people. This determination informed the convocation of the Osun Economic and Investment Summit within one year of coming into office. At that Summit too, we promised to hit the ground running.
“We are happy to find a worthy ally in Osun Ethanol Bio-Refinery Factory. The Management submitted a proposal for the project we are flagging off today few weeks after the convocation of the economic summit”, Oyetola said.
He urged the citizens and residents to establish industries and facilitate projects capable of enhancing the socio-economic prospects of the State.
Thereafter, he enjoined the citizens to continue to live in peace so that economic and infrastructure activities could thrive.
When completed, the Osun Ethanol Bio-Refinery Factory will be operating on over 21 hectares of land conceded to it as equity. Also on a full operation, it is estimated that it will attract about USD70m to the State and generate 10,000 jobs.
The product, ethanol, is one of the safe energy sources the world is turning to as a measure of preventing global warming. It would be converting cassava to ethanol, thus empowering thousands of persons in the chain of planting, harvesting, transporting and processing cassava to ethanol and marketing a final product that is hot in today’s world pharmaceutical and energy market.