Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has said that the State is working towards producing enough food for local consumption and for export through wet and dry season farming.
The State Government, in partnership with the Federal Government, has therefore set up a 13-member State Working Committee of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme – Agro Pocket, targeting 2,400 smallholder farmers on 1,200 hectares of land with rice, maize and cassava plantations with a view to ensuring food security in the State and beyond.
The governor stated that his administration is committed to developing all sectors of the State’s economy, particularly agriculture, due to its potentials in revenue and employment generation, as well as food security and poverty alleviation.
Governor Abiodun spoke during the inauguration of a 13-member State Working Committee (SWC) of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme – AGRO POCKET, which took place at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
He said, “Our target is to produce enough food to attain self-sufficiency in a short time and, in the long term, to produce enough food for other states and for export.
“As an administration, we are committed to the development of all sectors of our state economy. In particular, we recognize the immense potential of the agricultural sector, especially in employment generation, revenue generation, food security, and poverty alleviation.
“As a Government, we are aware of our responsibility to provide the needed relief to our people, especially during these challenging times.
“The Federal Government, alongside State Governments, has respectively developed a framework and reforms for providing mutually reinforcing components, such as agricultural reforms, improved delivery of farm inputs, and quality extension services.”
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Ogun State, he said, had identified viable sources of finance through partnerships with the Federal Government and the African Development Bank (AfDB), under the Policy-Based Operation (PBO), to boost agricultural production in both wet and dry seasons.
“You will recall that in the year 2023, a pilot scheme in 15 states of the federation was initiated, which was cultivated during the dry season. This led to an astronomical increase in wheat yield. The results revealed that an estimated 277,000 hectares of wheat were planted in Nigeria in 2023-2024, representing a 139 per cent increase over the previous year’s season.
“Undoubtedly, this result is the direct impact of the inputs received under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme supported by the African Development Bank,” he stated.
Governor Abiodun said the State would be supported in the cassava, maize, and rice value chains with an overall number of 2,400 smallholder farmers on 1,200 hectares of land, where the farmers will pay 25% of the cost of inputs while the federal government will pay the remaining 75% during the wet season of 2024.
He charged the Committee members to be mindful that they have been entrusted with the sacred mandate to ensure the efficient running of the program, just as he enjoined them to carry out their assignments with integrity and forthrightness.
“This committee will also be replicated at the local government area levels, including representatives of different stakeholders reflecting the peculiarities of the local government areas,” the governor added.
He noted that the administration’s policy on agriculture had attracted investors to the State, saying that the establishment of the Soilless Farm Laboratory at Awowo in Ewekoro Local Government Area was an example of agripreneurs setting up their businesses in the State.
