By Festus Ahon

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Atlantique Marine and Engineering Services, AMES, Dr. Charles Akhigbe said the organisation in conjunction with Boosh Global Network, BOOSH and Edo Exporter Cluster are set to launch the first ever Inland Container Dry Port in the South-South region of the country.

Dr. Akhigbe made this known during a meeting of stakeholders in the regulatory, manufacturing and production as related to agricultural and export sectors in Benin City, Edo State.

Explaining the essence of the meeting, Dr. Akhigbe said the meeting has become imperative as the organisation has put plans in place to commence exportation of agricultural products from the state.

According to Dr. Akhigbe, it was important that the cluster gets to know the modalities in the ease of doing business, risk involved in exportation, explore possibilities of accessing Federal Government grants, partner with federal agencies to drive exportation, and to seek support from the state, FG on the proposed Inland Container Dry Port Deport, ICD in Edo State.

He called on the Federal and state governments to collaborate with AMES in her effort to create jobs through exportation of agriculture products in Edo and Delta states.

In a remark, Edo State Commissioner for Wealth Creation, Cooperative and Employment, Mr. Emmanuel Usho, said the state government has earmarked ten billion naira as grant to encourage small scale industries to drive massive employment in the state.

Mr. Usho informed stakeholders that the state government has signed an MoU with a Chinese firm to commence the construction of the Gelegele Seaport in other to encourage investment in agriculture.

The Commissioner assured the group that the State government was also working on other sectors like power, roads, and other infrastructure to drive industrialization in the state.

Earlier in an opening address, the coordinator, Edo Cluster Group, Mrs. Rhona Peters regretted that despite substantial investment in the agricultural sector by individuals, Nigerians still import food and other agricultural related products.