TheCable

Simon Lalong, governor of Plateau state, says the state government will partner with France in potato production and value chain development.

In a statement on Monday, Makut Macham, his director for press and public affairs, said Lalong and Ben Ayade, his Cross River counterpart, had visited Jerome Pasquier, France ambassador to Nigeria and some investors from France to discuss areas of investment in potato production and value chain development.

In April, Lalong had said his administration would take 5,000 youths out of poverty before the end of 2021 through various agricultural policies.

Quoting Lalong, Macham said that the Plateau Investment and Economic Summit, scheduled for September, will further unlock the economic potentials of the state and woo investors to establish their businesses in Plateau, thereby creating job opportunities for residents.

Lalong expressed optimism that his earlier visit to the ambassador in January to intimate him of the vast potentials in agriculture, solid minerals, tourism and education, had begun yielding results.

He noted that despite COVID-19 restrictions, Pasquier was able to facilitate the visit of the investors from his country to Plateau to assess areas of investment opportunities in the agricultural sector.

On his part, Pasquier assured Lalong that the French investors were in the country specifically to look at agricultural opportunities in potato farming, preservation and marketing.

He added that they would also assess investment opportunities of exotic crops and flowers in high demand globally, and the arrangement would benefit all parties.