Wife of Kebbi State Governor, Dr. Mrs. Zainab Bagudu has commended WACOT Limited for its contributions to the development of the State.
She made the commendation when she paid a courtesy visit to ultra-modern WACOT Rice Factory in Argungu, Kebbi State during which she flagged off a new CSR initiative by WACOT Limited tagged “Pick a Bag” which was instituted with the intention of providing clothing for the underprivileged in their communities of operation. For this, she presented bags of clothes donated by staff of WACOT to underprivileged from Argungu Local Government.
In order to encourage the women’s self-help groups in Argungu, cash prizes and certificates were presented to the top three groups, by the Wives of the Governors of Kebbi, Kwara and Zamfara states respectively.
Also speaking at the event, top Nollywood Actress, Toyin Abraham expressed happiness over the developmental stride of the Kebbi State government and WACOT limited in establishing a factory of such magnitude in the state and called on the management of the company to also explore the other geopolitical zones of the country.
According to her, she has heard of the rice mill but was seeing it for the first time and that she is proud to be a Nigerian.
“When I was invited for this event, I was excited because, I am a lover of agriculture. Rice is one of the most consumed food items in Nigeria and for that item which has over time been imported into the country to be produced locally is a thing of pride for Nigeria, Kebbi state government and WACOT limited.”
“With developments like this, I am convinced that Nigeria as a nation has a bright future and the issues of unemployment will soon become a thing of the past”
“I am proud of WACOT Limited, the Kebbi State government and most importantly, I am proud to be a Nigerian” she said.
Another Actress who graced the occasion, Saratu Dipapu, a popular Kannywood actress said she was excited to be at the much talked about WACOT Rice factory. She added that, since the establishment of the factory in Argungu, the community and the state at large has witnessed lots of developments, both human and capital. She thanked TGI the parent company of WACOT and Kebbi State government for creating a platform where the people of the state can secure gainful employment.
The visit to the factory was scheduled as part of activities of the Medicaid Cancer Foundation 3-day Cancer Awareness Program – a foundation started by Dr. Zainab Bagudu.
The Rice mill where Big Bull premium parboiled rice is produced was commissioned by the Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, in company of Kebbi State Governor, Senator Abubakar, Atiku, Bagudu and other top government functionaries on the 1st of August, 2017.
While conducting the Wife of the Governor and her delegation round the ultra-modern high-capacity rice processing mill, the General Manager Corporate Affairs of TGI Group, the parent company of WACOT Rice Limited, Mr. Sadiq Kassim, disclosed that the factory is the first phase of WACOT’s rice milling plan, which targets an increase in capacity to 500,000 metric tons in the next few years.
The 120,000 metric tonnes Rice Mill according to him, has a capital investment of over =N= 10 Billion and is capable of processing over 120,000 metric tonnes of paddy per annum, creating over 3,500 employments. He further disclosed that the presence of the factory has empowered a lot of farmers, saying “we do not farm rice, but we work with the farmers from seed to harvest to ensure high quality paddy, which we then buy off them. We purchase paddy from up to 50,000 farmers here in Kebbi State”.
Mr. Sadiq also mentioned that as part of the company’s social responsibility efforts, WACOT rice has focused greatly on women, children, healthcare and nutrition – core pillars of the RMNCAH+N (reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent, health and nutrition) campaign championed by Mrs. Aisha Buhari, Wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Asides our school renovation programs and health camps, we have also facilitated the set-up of women self-help groups, where women go through skills acquisition trainings for making items such as soap, body cream, disinfectant, and so on. They are also taught about business management, group savings, record keeping and inter-loaning, among other skills.”
While commending TGI for the development the factory has brought to Argungu community and Kebbi State, the Wife of the Governor – Dr. Zainab Bagudu, whose delegation included the wives of the governors of Ondo and Zamfara states, Mrs. Betty Anyanwu – Akeredolu and Hajia Asma’u AbdulAziz Yari among others, said “I thank the management of WACOT for their support for the Kebbi state government and the impact and development they have brought to Kebbi state. I urge you to continue to operate in the cordial and peaceful manner with which you relate with the people, to create more job opportunities for our youth”
