Kwara State Government (KWSG) underscores its commitment to harnessing the agricultural potential within the state to bolster robust food security.
Governor Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq reiterated this commitment during the inaugural Kwara Agriculture Transformation Talk Series, an event orchestrated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Ilorin.
This gathering, tailored for policymakers at the local government level and selected farmers across the 16 Local Governments (LGAs), aimed to keep them informed about the planned programs encapsulated in the 10-year Agricultural Transformation Plan.
Governor AbdulRazaq, represented by the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs. Oloruntoyosi Thomas, elucidated that the program strategically targets key stakeholders in the agricultural value chain.
He emphasized the need for a comprehensive agricultural roadmap for each of the 16 LGAs, aiming to explore opportunities and align partners for diverse projects.
Highlighting the state’s comparative advantage in both crop production and the livestock sector, Gov. AbdulRazaq stressed the importance of leveraging existing potential investors and serious partners.
He articulated the necessity for individual roadmaps for each LGA, aligning investors and projects with the overarching 10-year Agricultural Plan.
Anticipated outcomes include the development of agricultural roadmaps for each LGA, outlining next steps, and identifying locations for dry season farming clusters.
In his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Tpl. Ishiaq Yinka Oloruko-Oba, expressed the event’s purpose, a retrospective examination of the period when Kwara was renowned as the country’s food hub.
He highlighted key crops and livestock that were historically abundant, emphasizing the significance of dry season farming for achieving self-sufficiency in food production.
Contributing to the discourse, Mr. Olusoji Oyawoye, State Project Coordinator of Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), outlined the project’s objectives to enhance livestock productivity, resilience, and commercialization of selected value chains. The project aims to strengthen the country’s capacity to respond to crises in the sector, providing infrastructural facilities and technical support to modernize animal husbandry.
In collaboration, Engr. Ezekiel Ariyo, Director of Agricultural Engineering Services, emphasized the state’s favorable environment and arable land for farming activities, citing numerous irrigation sites for dry season farming.
Engr. Busari Toying Isiaka, State Project Coordinator for the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ), highlighted the SAPZ project’s goals: increased productivity, value addition, market access, and private sector investment in selected agricultural value chains.
He expressed gratitude to the present administration for its prompt funding, ensuring a seamless take-off and implementation of the project.
The event featured paper presentations by agricultural experts Mr. Solomon Agamah and Mr. Michael Adeoluwa, consultants to the African Development Bank (AfDB), and cluster group discussions by LGAs on the way forward.
Dignitaries in attendance included Oba Ajibola Ademola Julius, Olusin Ijara-Isin; Oniwo of Iwo, Oba Joshua Olutade; HRM, Oba Solomon Oloyede, Olusin of Isanlu Isin; HRM, Oba Dr. David Oyerinola, Elerin Irese; Alh. Wahab Bolakale, Alangua of Abayawo; Alh. Issa Baba, the Bale of Bala.
Also present were Commissioner for Social Development, Hon. Oluwakemi Afolashade; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and Community Development, Abubakar Bata; Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Shehu Ndanusa; Commissioner for Business, Innovation and Technology, Hon. Damilola Yusuf Adelodun; and the representative of Commissioner for Special Duties, Hon. John Olanrewaju Bello. Additionally, TIC chairmen and Vice Chairmen, HOD Agric in the sixteen LGAs, Supervisors for Agric, State Chapter of RIFAN and AFAN were among the stakeholders present.
