By Awyetu Asabe Hope
Thor Explorations Limited, through its Nigerian subsidiary, Segilola Resources Operating Limited (SROL), has provided 10 cassava and oil palm processing plants to three host communities in Osun State to boost agricultural enterprise and improve livelihoods.
The initiative, known as the Cassava and Oil Palm Processing Equipment Project, covers Imogbara, Odo-Ijesha and Iperindo, with six oil palm processing plants and four cassava processing plants distributed among beneficiaries.
In a statement on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, the company said the project was designed to address the challenges faced by local processors who rely on labour-intensive methods that limit production and earnings.
“The initiative combines a 50 per cent equipment subsidy with a hire purchase agreement to improve access to productive assets and strengthen local livelihoods,” the company stated.
Under the allocation arrangement, Iperindo received two oil palm processing plants and two cassava processing plants, while Imogbara and Odo-Ijesha each received two oil palm plants and one cassava plant.
Each oil palm processing plant comprises a vertical palm fruit debuncher and a diesel-powered automatic presser. The debunchers can process between 800 and 1,000 kilogrammes of palm fruit per hour, while the automatic pressers are designed to improve oil extraction efficiency.
Each cassava processing plant comprises a grater, a manual presser fitted with a 32-tonne jack and a fryer for garri production. The graters can process up to 500 kilogrammes of cassava per hour.
Thor said the equipment would reduce strenuous labour, improve processing efficiency and enable beneficiaries to handle larger volumes of produce.
The company added that the initiative could stimulate economic activities in transportation, trading and distribution while expanding market opportunities for local processors.
It said the project formed part of its wider community investment programme through SROL, complementing interventions in women’s enterprise, education and livelihood restoration.
Thor reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening economic resilience and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities in communities surrounding the Segilola Gold Mine.
