The Kwara State Government on Wednesday handed over industrial cassava flour (garri) processing machines to residents of Owode Oja in Asa Local Government Area to scale up production, create jobs, improve livelihoods, and encourage sustainable development.

In August 2025, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq visited Owode Oja to inspect road projects, during which he commended local women and asked about additional needs beyond previous government interventions.

The machines provided included a dewatered cassava mash fryer, cassava mash sifter, and a cassava grater with a daily capacity of 1.5 tonnes.

A statement by the Deputy Chief Press Secretary, Government House, Ilorin, Mashood Agboola, said whilst presenting the items on behalf of the governor, Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, praised the governor as "a talk-and-do personality, a lover of the masses, and an advocate of self-reliance and economic prosperity."

He said, "We are here to deliver or fulfil a promise of His Excellency. On the 5th of August last year, the governor visited this community to inspect several road projects.

"When he came, he asked about other needs, and today, without prior notice, His Excellency sent us to deliver four industrial machines purchased from NCAM," Ajakaye told reporters.

Ajakaye noted that experts would train residents on how to operate and maintain the machines for optimal productivity.

He highlighted the 23km road project under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, saying it would ease the transportation of farm produce to markets.

"The governor is not just empowering them; he has also constructed several roads.

"The road we passed to reach this community is 23km under RAAMP. This demonstrates his commitment to ensuring that what is produced can access the market. Residents are very pleased with this initiative," he said.

Community leaders, including Baale Owode Oja, Mallam Kuranga Yakub, Secretary of the Youth Wing, Mustapha Kadir Olaitan, and Fauzat Abdulganiy, expressed gratitude to the governor.

"Our people, particularly women, used to travel to Lagos to work, but with this factory, they can stay home and earn a living through garri production. We are very thankful. May God bless the governor," Mallam Yakub said.