From Chinedu Nwafor Abakaliki
The candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the 2023 governorship election in Ebonyi State, Professor Benard Odoh, has promised to create over 300,000 direct and indirect jobs by establishing Ebonyi Export Processing Zone, if elected the next governor of the state.
Odoh who made the pledge at the weekend while speaking on his plans to diversify the economy of the State if elected governor, through cash crops such as ginger.
According to him, the facility when completed and activated will create over 300,000 direct and indirect jobs and will yield huge foreign direct earning in surplus of over $1billion to the state’s coffers.
Odoh said Nigeria made the sum of $12 million from exporting 523,000 metric tons ginger in 2021, representing 14% of the global supply of ginger.
He explained that ginger oil is used as flavoring agents for beverage, confectionery and perfumes.
“Under my leadership as your governor, we will stimulate and attract investment to establish Ebonyi Export Processing Zone where ginger will be processed into ginger oil, through steam distillation, to 20,920 metric ton of ginger oil valued at $70,000 per ton on the global markets or $1.4bn annually over a period of 2 years.
“Ginger Oil is used as flavoring agents for beverages, confectionery and perfumes,” Odoh said.
The former Secretary to Ebonyi State government said the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) already had a policy to support states to embark on such economic ventures.
“The CBN RT200 FX Policy on Non-Oil Exports and valued-added exports is set to support such value chains. We will leverage opportunity of CBN policy on-non oil export to support outgrowers scheme while we set up steam distillation points in our Export Processing Zone.”
“This facility when completed and activated will create over 300,000 direct and indirect jobs and will yield huge foreign direct earning in surplus of over 1billion usd.
“I’ll lead the implementation and execution of robust ginger outgrower scheme to support the steam distillation facility in addition to other raw material supply chains in and outside our region.”
The former University Lecturer further added:”We have the ideas, the human resources and the creativity to pull our people out of poverty.”