Rivers, SPDC to commission cassava processing factory in May

Port Harcourt -- The Rivers State Government, in partnership with the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, SPDC, will officially inaugurate the cassava processing factory in Afam, Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state, next month - May.

The multi-million dollar factory has SPDC as one of its major shareholders, as the oil firm said it has invested the sum of $3.6 million already in the project.

The factory, according to Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, will regularly buy-off cassava tubers from at least 3,000 farmers for processing, thereby enhancing food security.

Governor Wike disclosed that in 2015, when he assumed office, SPDC, one of the shareholders in the company, was downsizing its operations in the country, and it was going to impede actualising the cassava factory if nothing was done.

The governor said his administration took the

decision to finance the project and that the project has paid off because the factory is now completed and ready for operations with its attendance job creation opportunities.

Wike berated the Central Bank of Nigeria for delaying to support the project, especially since it was in line with Federal Government's policy that demanded cassava flour to be a component of baking flour.

Earlier, the Project Manager, Rivers State Cassava Processing Company Limited, Mr. Reuben Geisen, said they have successfully energised and testrun the factory that will produce high quality cassava flour from the installed machines.

He said: "We have a factory that is operational and that can benefit 3000 farmers, on a yearly basis, with a steady income by buying-off their cassava tubers. It will also have a multiplier effect across the agricultural sector as rural agriculture is still a labour intensive activity in this part of the world".