A United States-based company, SIVAD Group, has intimated the Kogi State Government of its plans to establish a world class pharmaceutical, agricultural, and other allied industries in the state, with a plan to commence operation in couple of weeks.

The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Lenzie Davis, made this known on Wednesday during a courtesy visit to the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, in Lokoja, the state capital.

David said Kogi State was selected as part of the company’s Africa investment plan, owing to its strategic location, security architecture, and other factors.

He noted that although the company was in Africa about 30 years ago, he was optimistic that this period would be different owned to the energy, relationships and what he has been told about the governor’s leadership acumen.

He said: “We are here to understudy how we could really help Kogi State and by extension Nigeria develop its Health, agriculture, technology sectors and as far as with developing vaccines, other type of medicine”.

Davis added that the company also has a sickle cell rapid test which he believed would be able to help monitor some of the sickle cell patients, save lives, and offer more education on how to prevent the disease

The SIVAD CEO stated that aside from its plan in the pharmaceuticals industry, the company in the area of agriculture would help develop new technologies for growing food, which could make Nigeria the leader in shipping food and other products across Africa.

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“The goal is to work closely with some of the key people here, so as to put together a solid plan of execution based on some of our findings and which of our plans to prioritize,” he added.

In his remarks, Governor Bello noted that Kogi State was on the part of development as it continued to witness business interests from international companies, stressing that his administration met the state in shambles and had made conspicuous effort to reverse the trend.

He stressed that Nigeria remained the trigger point for Africa and Kogi State sits confidently in the centre of the nation’s geography hence the state was where things must happen before reflecting in other part of the country.

The governor stated that the state was opened to any investor while he admonished them to feel at home as many of the state officials were on ground to guide them on modes of operation.

Bello added that the government would ensure that their personnel, investments and other things were adequately secured.

He promised to give them the necessary cooperation, to ensure that they invested safely in a bid to further encourage other investors into the state, adding that his government was doing its best in the health, education, and agricultural sectors by putting in place the needed infrastructures.

Governor Bello said despite the company’s interest in profit-making, the management must ensure they give host communities a sense of ownership, adding that it would be a nexus between the state government and the United States business community.

The Star