Danish firm set to build food processing plants in Enugu
From Chinedu Nwafor, Abakaliki
A Danish Engineering Consulting Company, Scan Flex Engineering Company Limited (SFECL) Denmark, on Thursday, signed a contract agreement with Pan Atlantic Farmers investment Ltd (PAFIL) Nsukka in Enugu State, to build a multi-billion farm and food processing plants in the state.
Mr. Lasse Jacobsen, who is the President SFECL signed on behalf of his company while Mr. Okechukwu Eze, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of (PAFIL) signed for farmers.
Speaking shortly after the signing, Jacobsen said with the signing of the contract, his company had been empowered to build mega farm, food processing plants and other facilities in Opanda Uzowani.
He said the project would be funded by Danish Investment Ltd, that had responsibility to fund projects in under-developed countries globally so as to fast-track development.
“The farmers under the aegis of PAFIL have satisfied all the requirements and with the signing of the contract today the project will start in no distant time.
“I have known the CEO of PAFIL for many years and he has done all that is required which made it possible for the signing of this multi-billion contract today (Thursday), ” he said.
He urged farmers in the state to avail themselves of the opportunities the project would provide in farming and food processing to make more money and improve their standard of living
“With the food processing plants, farmers will no longer witness any farm product waste as all agriculture products in the area will be bought from farmers, processed and exported to different parts of the world,”he said.
Responding, Eze described the signing of the contract as landmark achievement as the talk for the project started since 2014.
“Jacobsen is a world class. engineer with over 40 years experience in engineering profession.
“The signing of the contract today has empowered his company to come and build agro mega farm project for our farmers that will be full of processing plants.
“This project is cited in a 5,420 plots of land at Opanda, a community in Uzo-Uwani LGA,
” The aim is to make the area an agricultural industrial hub of the Southeast Nigeria,” he said.
Mr Eze further noted that when the project is completed it would have an estate of 300 housing units, football academy, vocational training center, Nursery, primary & secondary schools, fire fighting center, Independent off grid power plant, water among others.
He said that, the project would provide employment to millions of Nigerians who would work in the farms, food processing plants, schools, football academy, vocational training centre etc.
“We are going to partner with the institutions like the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, their students will work for us as well as do the industrial training with us
“This project will not only provide more employments but increase foreign exchange earnings of the country as processed foods will be exported to different countries of the world,”he said
The CEO disclosed that the projects was expected to take off by first quarter of 2023.
