Kwara State governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has hailed the establishment of a new multimillion naira cashew processing factory in the state. The governor spoke in Ilorin, the state capital during a working visit to the Annie Glidden Commodities (AG) Nig. Ltd at Eiyenkorin, a newly established cashew processing plant in the state. “My coming here is to encourage local investment. As you know, Kwara is a major producer of cashew nuts, and Nigeria is putting more interest in cashew processing. So, it is a good thing to have a local production and make sure we export processed cashew nuts, rather than raw cashew nuts. So, this investment is a major one. I think this is about the third major cashew company in the state,†the governor told reporters shortly after touring the facility. The governor said it is logical and will be more lucrative to have the cashew nuts processed locally for export than to ferry out the raw nuts, adding that the government will leave no stone unturned to encourage all cashew processing companies in the state to thrive. AbdulRazaq acknowledged the commitment of the owners of the new cashew firm to grow the local economy through their investment, and congratulated them on the start of operation, saying the administration is open for partnership. “Our vision is to have Kwara as the leading processor of cashew in Nigeria. So, this is another step to come here and look at their investment and encourage the company, and to also see how the state can partner with the company to scale up the processes,†he added. The managing director of AG Commodities Nig Ltd, Ademola Adesokan, said they located the company in Kwara because of its strategic location in the cashew belt and the business-friendly policies of the government. He said at least 120 Kwarans have been engaged in the company for manual handling of the cashew nuts daily.