Nepalese bank mulls massive agric investment in UNILORIN

Nepal Khadhya Bank Ltd. says it is prepared to invest massively in agriculture in the University of Ilorin as part of the country’s efforts to help fight hunger in Nigeria.

Nepal is a landlocked country in southern Asia between the Tibet autonomous region of China and India.

It contains eight of the world’s 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest – the world’s tallest, on the border with Tibet, and Lumbini, the birth place of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.

The Chairman of the bank, Mr RamRaja Shrestha disclosed this on Tuesday during a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali.

Shrestha said that the bank’s major objective was to promote agro-tourism and other agricultural investments.

He said that the decision to invest in Nigeria stemmed from the fact that the country is blessed with very fertile land and underutilised natural resources.

“When there is no hunger, there will be no anger; the people will be happy and there will be peace and progress in the nation.

“We were informed that the University of Ilorin is peaceful and blessed with vast arable land.

“So we think it is a good idea to partner with the institution in farming and agriculture,“ he said.

Shrestha said that the agricultural activities would not be limited to planting and harvesting, but would include grain banking and food processing.

The Nepalese bank chairman noted that although the bank had made bad investments in the past “but this time, I have no doubt I am in the right place.”

The Chairman of the World Institute for Peace, Mr Lamina Kamilu pointed out that the objective of the institute was to curb the menace of violence in the world and ensure peace.

“Unilorin is one of the universities in the country in which people have great interest when it comes to honesty,” he said.

Lamina commended the University for sustaining peace and progress, a virtue, which he said fetched the vice-chancellor, prestigious “Icon of Peace” award by the institute.

Responding, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ambali, expressed delight at the Nepalese bank’s initiative aimed at curbing hunger in the country and for seeing the university as a worthy partner.

He said that the institution has a land mass of about 15,000 hectares and “is always open to investors’’.

Ambali, who noted that the university had been partnering with investors in various areas like solar power generation to ensure constant power supply.

“Unilorin is the best bet you can partner with in Nigeria because your investment here is safe.

“There is no strike or hooliganism that will put your investment at risk, and we have concentration of resources, both human and material.’’

The vice-chancellor also appreciated the World Institute for Peace for finding him worthy of the award and for its effort in promoting peace all over the world.