President Tinubu to commission $2.5bn cotton processing factory in Ogun – Abiodun

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has disclosed that a $2.5 billion cotton processing factory under the Renewed Hope Cotton Resurgence initiative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will soon begin operations in the state.

Governor Abiodun revealed this during the launch of the Agric-Connect programme at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta.

Agric-Connect is a digital agriculture platform designed to empower farmers through mobile-enabled agricultural intelligence. It is an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, in collaboration with the Ogun State Government, MTN Foundation, and Huawei Nigeria Ltd.

According to the governor, President Tinubu will, within the next sixty days, perform the groundbreaking of what he described as the largest cotton processing plant in the world. The facility will have the capacity to process 1,000 tonnes of cotton per day, translating to the production of about four million garments daily.

Speaking at the launch of the Agric-Connect initiative, Abiodun also announced that 1,000 farmers registered under the Ogun State Farmers’ Information Management System will benefit from the programme, which includes access to mobile-enabled agricultural intelligence devices. He noted that the platform would support agricultural growth by connecting farmers to virtual resources such as weather forecasts, market data, modern technologies, and accessible markets.

He emphasized that the initiative was not just about enhancing productivity but about creating a comprehensive, technology-driven ecosystem that empowers farmers with the information needed for effective decision-making, including what to plant and understanding rainfall patterns.

“According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the April Consumer Price Index shows that Ogun State experienced a decline in food inflation on a month-to-month basis,” Abiodun said. “As a matter of fact, Ogun State ranks among the states with the slowest rise in food inflation nationwide. This is not by our power or might; this is what our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has done.”

In his remarks, Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, affirmed that the Federal Government under President Tinubu has placed food security at the heart of its national development strategy. He said the government’s target is to cultivate 500,000 hectares of land across the country.

Tijani stressed that land and labor alone would not guarantee food security, underscoring the need for innovation and productivity driven by precision agriculture. He added that timing and intelligence are crucial for agricultural development and noted that the South West has the potential to feed not just Nigeria but the world, especially with the support of weather data from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET).

Also speaking, the Senator representing Ogun Central Senatorial District and Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, Senator Shuaib Salisu, said the Senate would expedite legislation to support the deployment of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies in Nigeria. He noted that creating legal frameworks for these technologies would enable growth in agriculture and other sectors.

Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Bolu Owootomo, said the Agric-Connect initiative represents the synergy between agriculture and technology, driven by a common goal to unlock the potential of the sector through digital innovation. He stated that integrating technology into traditional farming will empower farmers with real-time information and transform them into digitally equipped entrepreneurs.

Director of Huawei Nigeria Ltd, Mr. Gao, noted that the cloud smartphones to be distributed to farmers will carry valuable data and represent hope for the younger generation and dignity for farmers if properly utilized.

Executive Director of the MTN Foundation, Mrs. Odunayo Sanya, said the launch marked a significant milestone in empowering smallholder farmers in Ogun State. She emphasized that the Agric-Connect programme leverages mobile technology to provide farmers with the tools they need to thrive in a rapidly changing agricultural landscape.