The Oyo State Government has unveiled a range of export-ready, value-added food products as part of its drive to accelerate agro-industrialisation and boost the state’s presence in regional and continental trade markets.
The products were showcased by the Agricultural Exporting Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative Society during a formal ceremony held in the Conference Room of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Investment and Cooperatives, located at the Secretariat in Agodi, Ibadan.
At the event, the Commissioner for Trade, Industry, Investment and Cooperatives, Adeniyi Adebisi, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mamud Okesade, announced plans to establish a Directorate of Quality Control.
This new body is intended to ensure product standardisation and readiness for international export markets.
“The need to reform cooperative structures to meet present-day realities and investor expectations cannot be overemphasised,” Adebisi stated. “This is aimed at boosting agro-industrialisation and expanding the state’s footprint in regional and continental trade.”
Adebisi also encouraged the newly appointed Board of Directors of the Association of Nigeria Cooperative Exporters Limited to prioritize transparency and unity in order to maximize emerging opportunities in global trade.
The inauguration of the new board marks another milestone in the government’s ongoing cooperative reform agenda.
Adebisi assured the board of sustained support from the state government to help them reach their development targets.
Key stakeholders from various institutions, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Nigeria Export Promotion Council, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, and the Bank of Agriculture, were present at the event.
They praised the cooperative for its structural integrity and adherence to operational regulations, pledging continued assistance through funding, technical support, and trade facilitation initiatives.
In his remarks, the newly elected ANCE President, Kola Olomoyoyo, pledged to build on the foundation laid by his predecessor.
He noted that the cooperative had not only solidified its cocoa and palm kernel export operations but had also diversified into producing livestock feed and bottled water.
