In line with the Ekiti State Government’s policy of encouraging private investments in the state, Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has inaugurated multi-billion naira Egbeja Snail Village, Okemesi Ekiti, on Tuesday, January 19, 2021.
The project, which is a private initiative of Farmkonnect Agribusiness Nigeria Limited, in partnership with Touchstone Snails Technology, Cyprus, is designed to be the largest snail farm in Nigeria and second-largest in Africa, with the capacity to produce a minimum of 2.6 million kg (2,600 metric tons) of snails per annum.
Founder of Farmkonnect Agribusiness, Azeez Oluwole Saheed, said he decided to set up the integrated snail farm in Okemesi Ekiti because of Ekiti State’s friendly investment environment made possible by the ease of doing business policy of the Dr. Kayode Fayemi administration.
He said over N5.2 billion had been committed to the integrated snail farm project with the capacity to employ over 2,000 skilled and unskilled personnel. He added that aside from snail meat that would be produced at the farm, slime extracted from the snails would be exported as it is in high demand in pharmaceutical and skin and hair care industries.
