By Mike Adeyemi
The Kwara Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mine And Agriculture (KWACCIMA) has said efforts are in top gear towards revisiting mass rice plantation in the Northern part of Kwara State.
The President of KWACCIMA, Olalekan Fatai Ayodeji stated this during a chat with our reporter in his office recently.
According to him, “Kwara North has comparative advantage in rice planting which can feed not only Kwara, but Nigeria at large.
“To be honest with you, the immediate past administration of KWACCIMA raised the issue of mass rice production in Kwara North with the last State Government.
” As at the time we met with the former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki he promised us that as soon as we get people who are ready to do Rice milling in that axis he would support us.
“But unfortunately, our members that were ready at the time could not take off as a result of bad and un-conducive atmosphere of the place then.
” But, due to what the present government has done in that axis in terms of road networks, we will revisit rice planting in the area,” Ayodeji assured.
Continuing, “It is high time Kwara State takes up her rightful place in rice production in Nigeria and government should provide an enabler for the massive take off by rice millers.
“If States like Kebbi could be that proficient in rice production, why not Kwara. I think what we need now in Kwara is that government should support and provide enabling environment,” he stressed.
The President added that Kwara State has not improved from its ranking in the ease of doing business though the government has put in place economic mechanism to make it better.
“Kwara is still 29th on the ease of doing business log. But hopefully by the next ranking the state’s grading would have improved.
“Government has put in place many business processes that ultimately will move us up on the ladder of success. The business climate hasn’t been palatable in Kwara as government is yet to take up some challenges economically.
“If you look at some states, they go into power project in connivance with the Federal Government. There is nothing bad if the Kwara State government also do this especially through PPP, it will go a long way to improve businesses in the state.
“As at now, the business climate is not what we desire. In the ease of doing business, Kwara is still far behind. The government of the day is trying to scale it up, but hasn’t yielded result.
“People in businesses are having it tough to take their businesses to other States at the same time we are having issues with taxation. We want government to help us look at this to give us a good business climate.
“Presently in KWACCIMA, we are trying to see how to invite foreign and local investors to come to the state and by the time we complete this, we hope government would have done the needful to ensure enabling environment,” KWACIMA boss further said.
