The Ogun State Government has signed a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, (IITA), towards strengthening partnership for agricultural intervention activities as well as expanding mechanised agricultural opportunities.
Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina, while signing the MoU at the Institute’s head office in Ibadan, noted that the state is leveraging on the expertise of IITA to further assist in executing its key strategic agric pillars of food security, job creation, industrialisation, nutrition and food safety, among others.
The Commissioner revealed that with the official sealing of the partnership, the state would benefit in the area of improved planting materials, technical backstopping for the establishment, demonstration of farms for youth focused agricultural projects as well as training.
Odedina submitted that the focus on agriculture in Ogun State was working fast such that the state cannot rely on its expertise alone, hence, the need to collaborate with IITA.
“In Ogun State, the focus on agriculture is real and we have close to 70,000 young people that have registered for opportunities in agriculture and the opportunity is along the value-chain. Before you deliver on this responsibility as a state, you don’t want to rely on your strength alone, you also want to rely on partners.
“In the last two months,we have been working to develop an MoU so that IITA can support our programme in terms of technology, advice, infrastructure, etc, and the governor recently approved the final draft of the MoU. We are running the biggest cassava programme in Nigeria so, some of our youths will be coming here to learn”, he stated.
Assuring on how the state intends to guide the over 27,000 registered cassava growers under its Anchor Borrowers Programme, Odedina said, “Having successfully linked different categories of farmers to credit, off-takers, marke, etc, we can’t do less than to attach our aprons to IITA in the cassava sector, so that our youths can come out with high yield and farmers can sustainably supply raw materials to industries”.
Speaking shortly after signing the MoU on behalf of IITA, Director-General of the Institute, Nteranya Sanginga maintained that the agricultural development in Ogun State was on the right track, revealing that the states Agric team gave an excellent presentation given a detailed summary of the strides made so far.
Represented by Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery, Kenton Dashiell, he disclosed that with the linkage of farmers with fertilisers, the state has asserted itself as a key player in agriculture reformation in Nigeria.
Also speaking, Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Agric, Dr Angel Adelaja- Kuye, said the state is positioning itself to ensure it maintains its agricultural hub status, revealing that the governor had informed that he wants the state agriculture to be driven by technology.
The team were thereafter led on a production field demonstrations of crops in field by a Cassava Breeder, Mrs. Elizabeth Parkers who affirmed that with the level of partnership, Ogun State will benefit more in cassava production and multiplication, cassava post harvest utilisation, livestock feed, youth agribusiness, among others.
Other dignitaries at the event were the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Dotun Sorunke, member, Ogun Anchor Borrowers Steering Committee, Prof Lateef Sanni, General Manager, Ogun State Agricultural Development Programme (OGADEP),Taiwo Ayansanwo, the Coordinator, Cassava Revolution, Mrs Kehinde Jokotoye, among others.
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