Dr Sabo Yahaya, Special Adviser/Policy Coordinator to the Minister of Agriculture, Ahaji Sambo Nanono (left), presenting an award to Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun in Abuja |
The Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, has once again won the Governor of The Year Award in Agriculture.
The governor, who emerged tops in the 2020 edition of the
award organised by the Nigeria Agricultural Award (NAA), was on Tuesday night,
declared winner in the agric sector at award ceremony of the Feed Nigeria
Summit, held at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja.
Speaking after receiving the award, Abiodun noted that the
summit has become an international
dialogue forum for the advancement of Global Agriculture, with sufficient
reference to agricultural development in Africa and Nigeria.
While appreciating the organisers of the event for the
follow up on Ogun State agriculture despite its trademark low profile as well
as quiet focus on delivery, the governor explained that the state’s
Agricultural Agenda has been tailored towards the Agricultural Agenda of the
Federal Government of Nigeria, as being implemented by the Minister of
Agriculture, Alhaji Sabo Nanano.
This agenda, according to him, has been focussed on Support
to Smallholder Farmers, Job Creation, Food and Nutrition Security, Agricultural
Industrialization and Linkage of Growers/Farmers to the industrial process, in
an innovative value chain approach.
Abiodun disclosed that Ogun currently has one of the highest
number of beneficiaries in the CBN/Federal Government Anchor Borrowers Programme
(ABP) in Cassava, and have been listed for other commodities.
He noted further that “through the FG’s supports and
interventions, Ogun has been able to cement our ranking as the largest hub for
industries (including Agro-ventures) in Nigeria, the largest egg and broiler
producer, largest producer and exporter of lemon grass oil, largest hub for
aquaculture in West Africa (according to FAO) and many others”.
“In line with our resolve to partner with the private sector
and provide enabling environment for investments and agribusinesses, we have
become the world epicenter as a dependable host and partner, especially with
the Government initiative of establishing the Cargo Airport to supplement the
Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) of the African Development Bank
(AfDB) and other donor funded projects including the IFAD/FGN Value Chain
Development Project (VCDP), in which our state has recorded tremendous success
with 12,000 beneficiaries supported with technology, inputs and credit,”
Abiodun added.
The governor, who informed the gathering that the Cargo
Airport will be delivered to Global Agricultural value chain actors and players
next year, assured that “as a Government, we have a firm belief in inclusive
Agricultural opportunities that will not cut out smallholder farmers, youths
and women”.
He explained further that the smallholder farmers had been
deliberately empowered with knowledge and appropriate linkage that will enable
them take their share of the new wealth and opportunities in Ogun Agriculture,
which has put them in the best position to supply services and raw materials to
support the numerous Agro-Industries in Ogun State and beyond.
“The Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP)
aimed at supporting 40,000 smallholder farmers and Nigeria COVID-19 Action
Recovery and Economic Stimulus (N-CARES) are two major World Bank Projects that
are fully operational in the State to support our Agricultural Agenda. The
Agro-Processing, Agricultural Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood
Improvement (APPEALS) Project is another World Bank project that is in view.
“Activities have also kicked off for the establishment of an
Integrated Farm Estate, Garri Packaging Plant and a 200-Trainee Soil-Testing
Programme, which are Federal Government Agricultural pilot programmes through
the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA). We have signed a
good number of MoUs with National and International Development Partners such
as IITA, HarvestPlus and a host of other private sector partners on private
sector led initiatives, which has provided the necessary trust needed by
investors.
“Our intervention in the Agriculture Sector, which started
at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, was not hampered, as investments in
upgrade of hitherto abandoned locations/facilities, enrolment of people that
were displaced from other sectors into the Agriculture Sector, ensured that we
did not starve, neither did we import food during the pandemic.
“The Planting Materials Palliative (PMP) that started at the
onset of the pandemic, and which is continuous, targets 40,000 smallholder
farmers. We also keyed into the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative that
supplied fertilizer to target 10,000 farmers,” Abiodun stated.
The governor, who announced the dedication of the award to
the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and development
partners, submitted that “Ogun will continue to partner with stakeholders to
deliver the benefit of Jobs, Food and Nutrition, while sustaining Food Security
and our edge in Agricultural Industrialization”.
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