A strategic partnership meeting has been held, between Ayibeku Oil Palm Company Ltd, Winsong M House Ltd and the Oil Palm Growers Association of Nigeria, OPGAN, with a view to identifying areas of joint collaboration between the Association and the company.
John Gaul Lebo, Chairman, Ayibeku Oil Palm Company Ltd and Winsong M House Ltd, who made this disclosure in Calabar, Cross River State, informed www.calitown.com that part of the areas to be explored by this partnership include capacity building for oil palm farmers and estate management staff, outgrowers and small holders programme schemes.
He also said that nursery improvement programmes, training of local oil palm farmers and setting up of training centres for oil palm farmers in Ayibeku Oil Palm Estate to train farmers from Okarara, Akor, New Ndebiji, Iku and Abung host communities, has been captured in the engagement.
Following the successful engagement with host communities and the resumption of the company in the estate, the Chairman hinted that the company is set to launch its replanting operations for more than 7,200 hectares in the first phase commencing this month through September 2023, and the second phase with 5000 hectares set for October 2023 to October 2024 cultivation.
Shortly after the engagement, President, OPGAN, Joe Onyuike, while thanking the Chairman for this engagement, assured him of the association’s 100% support, adding that OPGAN has been waiting for the company to takeover the estate after the initial community crisis that led to the shutting down of operations. He committed himself to making sure that most of its members in CRS, will become available to support the company.
Earlier last week, the Chairman also held a briefing with Bureau of Public Entreprises, BPE, to discuss progress made and key areas of its post Acquisition Plan due for presentation to BPE.
The company is partnering with different companies to fasttrack its anchor borrowers programme, including its own workforce of over 180 staff who will be trained in partnership with OPGAN and NIFOR.
