After recording success stories in Benin Republic, Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (Arise IIP) is heading for Sierra Leone for similar investment opportunities.
With its agro-processing facilities in Benin, Arise IIP has created about 300, 000 (three hundred thousand) jobs in the African country.
Sierra Leone also sets to reap huge benefit from the new company.
Arise IIP which specializes in the development, marketing and promotion of industrial facilities is preparing to take over the port at Pepel in Port Loko district and Pepel-Tonkolili railway facilities.
The new company is set to create thousands of jobs for the jobless Sierra Leoneans.
It will also address major gaps where Kingho company has failed throughout its years of operation along the rail and the port.
Kingho is a Chinese company that took over management and operations of the rail and port facilities from the defunct African Minerals Limited (AML) which has been exporting Iron Ore to other countries in the world.
With the rail and port facilities under Kingho management, Government and the country benefit too little as royalties are in large arrears.
The situation prompted Arise IIP to take over from Kingho to help boost the country’s economy.
Arise IIP has invested in such African countries as Benin, Chad, Angola among others where economies have been strengthened and livelihoods improved.
To showcase its potential for investment and prosperity, Arise IIP held a media tour for Sierra Leonean journalists to see for themselves and report the news.
It was during the conducted tour in Benin Republic that Arise IIP staff including the Country Director, Letondji BEheton showcased their economic strength and power.
While in Benin, the Country Director, BEheton told Journalists that Arise started as joint venture in February, 2020.
Today, 1000 (ten thousand) hectares of land has been declared by the Government of Benin as an Arise IIP domain and that 1640 hectares of land has been developed.
Benin is an agricultural company with an ultimate advantage in the production and export of agricultural commodities.
Cashew, Soya, Pineapples and Cotton are the main produce that was being exported raw to such countries as China, Russia, Bangladesh among others.
According to Country Chief, Benin is today the largest exporter of cotton in Africa.
It is clear that Arise IIP is set to Change the narrative in Benin.
“What we are trying to do here is to promote agricultural commodities. It is divided in three phases so far we have developed the first phase which is 400, 000 (four hundred thousand) hectares, we have 12, 040 more hectares to develop,” Benin Country Head explained.
For the three phases, he went on, 36 investors would take care of the zones with an investment of US$1.2bn. The investment, he went on, was being operated in different units: agro-processing, manufacturing and textile units.
In the agro-processing unit, there are several factories with 10 of them having pharmaceuticals, Coal, Soya processing and by-products of Soya. Benin is therefore a living agricultural commodity processor in Africa.
By December 2030, the Textile Unit will process approximately 40, 000 metric tones of Fibre. It is equivalent to 12.7 per cent of Benin’s Fibre output. If the company zeroes in on Fibre production, 32 integrated textile factories is needed to process the amount of Fibre Benin has today which is about 300, 000 (three hundred thousand) and 350, 000 (three hundred and fifty thousand).
This means 107, 000 jobs will be created just for the textile industry. The same job opportunities are set to be created in Sierra Leone when Arise IIP takes over from Kingho company.