Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has disclosed that the state Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) will provide inputs, service support and training required for farmers through a single digit loan and a guaranteed off taker, adding that his administration is fully committed to providing an environment that will ensure a better life for the people.
Abiodun, who made this known in his office at Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, the state capital, at the inauguration of a steering committee to oversee the Ogun State Anchor Borrowers Programme, said the state government under his leadership was committed to the development of all sectors of the state economy, adding that the state government appreciated the immense potential of the agricultural sector.
The governor noted that the target of his administration was to produce enough food to attain self-sufficiency in food security, adding that providence had blessed the state with favourable climate, fertile soil of over 16,000 square meters, of which 80 percent was arable.
“The target of our administration is to produce enough food to attain self sufficiency in food security in the short term and over the long term, produce enough food for other states and for export.
“Providence have blessed us with favourable climate and fertile soil for agriculture, we sit on a land mass that is over 16,000sqm, 80% of which is arable, that is we have over 12,800sqm of arable land,” he said.
The governor, who further noted that government and the people should come together to chart a way forward for the development of agriculture in the state, added that it was disheartening to note that the state had never accessed the Central Bank ABP.
“While we have seen the success of the anchor borrowers scheme in other states, it is disheartening that Ogun State has never accessed the CBN anchor borrowers program through the public window,” he said.
He opined that the inauguration of the committee was a practical demonstration of his administrations commitment towards the development of the agricultural sector in the state, adding that the program would be targeting over 40,000 farmers, of which 10,000 would be attended to in the first instance.
“This programme, we are targeting the empowerment of over 40,000 farmers, we are going to be starting in the first instance with an initial 10,000 farmers to which we are going to allocate 10,000 hectares of land to them,” he said.
The terms of reference for the steering committee are, to play a supervising role in the implementation of the Ogun State Anchor Borrowers Scheme, design overarching methodology for the implementation of the anchor programme in Ogun, communicate decisions taken on the project to the governor and other stakeholders, coordinate all relevant stakeholders, set up and supervision of project management teams and local government committees, review of submitted cost of production/ economics of production for all value chains, approve identified input supplies and identify, negotiate with and enter into agreement with credible anchors.
The committee has Adebola Okuneye as chairman, other members are, Adetunji Oredipe, Abosede Ogunleye, Angel Kuye, Abiodun Niyi, Taiwo Ayansanwo, Segun Dasaolu, Okanlawon Suraj, Oyinlola Oyenuga, David Olawale, Kayode Abiodun, Oluyemi Kuforiji, Oluwafunmilayo Oyewole, Ejalonibu Adebayo, Abdulazeez Abolore, Lateef Sanni, Bakai Okedara, while Taiwo Ayansanwo, will serve as secretary.
