Regional Integration: South West Commissioners Set Agenda for Agric. Devt.

Commissioners of Agriculture in Ogun, Lagos, Ekiti and Oyo States have held a meeting in Abeokuta where they draw a roadmap to reposition the agricultural sector of their respective States towards driving socio-economic growth and enhance integration plans of the south west region of the country.

 

Briefing newsmen after their meeting, Ekiti State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Jide Arowosafe disclosed that the four States agreed to have a unified way of financing agricultural projects rather than doing it individually, adding that this would go a long way in repositioning agriculture as the mainstay of the economies of the States.

 

He added that the States also resolved to promote the use of mechanised farming to enhance food production and where necessary, create an atmosphere for any of them found lagging behind to catch up with others.

 

Arowosafe said in this regard, capacity building programmes would be jointly organised for their farmers on new trends in farming practices and that the State would consider establishing a training institute to handle this.

 

He equally revealed that the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission in Ibadan, Oyo State has therefore been mandated to facilitate the execution of all the planned programmes to achieve set objectives.

 

In his reaction, Director-General, DAWN Commission, Mr. Dipo Famakinwa affirmed that the Commission was prepared to provide needed framework for the execution of the planned programmes meant to drive agricultural integration of the States to achieve their common goals of improving food security, creating more employment opportunities and fast tracking the nation’s economic growth.

 

Earlier in her remarks, the host Commissioner, Mrs. Ronke Sokefun said that the meeting was borne out of the need to have a common platform on collaborative effort to engender regional integration and reposition agriculture as the main driver of the regional economy as obtained in the 60s.

 

Also in attendance at the meeting were Prince Gbolahan Lawal of Lagos State and Mr. Kunle Adeduntan, Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture, who stood in for his Commissioner.