The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sigvent Industrial Cluster Limited, Benjamin Onigbinde, has commended the Federal Government for awarding road construction contracts across key agricultural corridors in Oyo State, describing the projects as a major boost to agro-industrial development and investment.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Onigbinde said the road projects, which link major farming communities in Ogbomoso, Iseyin and the Ilorin Road axis to processing centres and export routes, would reduce post-harvest losses, lower transportation costs and improve the movement of agricultural produce to agro-industrial clusters.
He specifically praised the Federal Government’s decision to prioritise roads serving the Sigvent Industrial Cluster along the Ogbomoso-Ilorin Road, noting that the development would strengthen agricultural value chains in the state.
According to him, the Nigeria Associate Best Foods and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) are already developing strategies for value addition in cassava and cashew processing within the Sigvent Cluster, adding that improved road infrastructure would facilitate the movement of produce from farms to processing facilities and onward to export destinations.
Onigbinde, who is also the Convener of the Ogbomoso Economic and Investment Summit, said reliable road infrastructure remains critical to Nigeria’s agro-industrialisation agenda.
He explained that the projects would enhance farmers’ incomes by reducing transportation losses, encourage investments by small and medium-scale enterprises in the Sigvent Free Trade Zone, and improve the ease of doing business under Oyo State’s Agricultural Industrial Processing Zone (AIPZ) initiative for Ogbomoso.
He called on the Federal Ministry of Works and the Oyo State Government to ensure the timely completion of the road projects and maintain high construction standards.
Onigbinde also urged both governments to extend similar infrastructure interventions to other agricultural corridors across the country, stressing that quality road networks are essential to attracting investment and expanding Nigeria’s agro-processing sector.
He expressed optimism that with improved roads, industrial infrastructure and export support, Oyo State could emerge as a leading agro-processing hub in Nigeria.
