Israeli investors have said they will establish a multi-million solar-powered farm in Rivers State to create over 2000 jobs for youths of the state when completed.
This, they said, will be done in partnership with a Nigerian entrepreneur, Prince Tonye Princewill. The farms, aimed at boosting agriculture and food security in the state, will be cited in the Eleme local government area and communities in Kalabari Kingdom.
Speaking with journalists in Port Harcourt, Princewill stated that there is already available land for the project both in Eleme Local Council and in the Kalabari Kingdom, pointing out that part of the project will include a low-cost housing estate that will solve housing problems for thousands of residents of the state.
The entrepreneur underscored the need for peace in Rivers State, stating that the negative narrative about the state was affecting investment opportunities.
He said: “With the solar farm, we are killing two birds with one stone. One is that we are taking advantage of the land to create sustainable farms. We are going to bring in huge investments.
“The plan is that after 15 years, the investments are going to be handed over to local partners and they are going to be quite huge.
It is coming in from Israel, and the land is already in place; all we want is for the government to ensure that the place is secure.
“We want to use some of the land for low-cost housing. We are prepared to give it to the government because we are aware the government is interested in low-cost housing, so there’s a low-cost housing aspect to it, and there is a farm aspect to it.
“We believe that the solar farm will even provide power to the low-cost housing. So, it’s an all-integrated, all-encompassing project that will be a revolution.
“Apart from the fact that we don’t need the national grid to power the farms, we are talking about employment, empowerment, and reducing food prices.’’
“If you look at Israel now, it has moved from desert to farming, so we are working with people who are experts in making the best and becoming crop producers. To us, the most important thing is that we have security and safety.
“The most important thing now is peace and security. Convincing people here that these investments are valid and viable in an area where what they read in the paper is only about crisis, is our biggest challenge.
“But if we have the government on board and we get the government to ensure that security and integrity of the project is guaranteed, this is fantastic.”
“We are talking about employing over 2,000 people on the farm alone. I think that the opportunities are huge; it just requires the right thing to deliver, and I think on our own side, we are prepared.”
