The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to food security for residents of the state through various collaboration with investors in agribusiness and young farmers, saying his target for 2025 is to record significant increase in production in the sector to feed the people.
The Governor stated this while inspecting the Bring Youth Back into Agriculture Project farms in Oke Ako Ekiti, Iyemero Ekiti and Gede in the North senatorial Districts yesterday.
Oyebanji who was accompanied on the visit by some top government officials disclosed that the state’s budget for 2025 would focus more on agriculture, in an effort to ensure food sufficiency and make Ekiti the food basket of the country.
While noting that his government’s deliberate investment in agriculture was already yielding the desired positive results, the Governor said his government in the last two years, has prioritised investment in agriculture, boost capacity of farmers and create a market for farm produce as part of efforts to enhance food production and tackle food insecurity.
He also expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for providing necessary impetus for the state to thrive in agriculture and other sectors, promising that his administration will continue to provide economic opportunities for youths in the state and position them to be employers of labour.
The Governor added that the state has also improved on its agricultural policies and guaranteed the needed infrastructure and support to drive the state’s agriculture development plans, adding that his administration was looking at ways to scale up food production and make the state self-reliant.
Oyebanji noted that the 2025 budget, aside focusing on agriculture and food security, would prioritise the welfare of citizens, saying his administration in the last two years have done a lot in infrastructure, stressing that he would de-risk the agricultural value chain by scaling up security, provide electricity and rehabilitate roads to farms.
“I’m superbly excited on the outcome of agriculture strategy, few months ago, we flagged off this programme, ‘bring back our youths into agriculture’ and I believe strongly that the only way to prosperity is productivity and bring our youths back to work, government has to provide the platforms for them.
“We partnered with our people and YSJ, a private sector agric company to work out a strategy of bringing back our youths to agriculture where the government cleared land for them free of charge, subsidized inputs by fifty percent. I am just going round today to see the outcome of these efforts and I am happy that it has turned round this way.”
“What this has taught me is the fact that Ekiti youths are not lazy, Ekiti youths are productive, they can work and what they need is just the platform. I have always been saying that Ekiti can rival any state in the federation, but as a government, we need to provide the platform for people to exhibit their potential and this is what we have done.
“Next year’s budget is going to focus on welfare and agriculture, we have done a lot with infrastructure, education and health, the time has come for us to feed our people and my target for next year is to grow enough food to feed Ekiti people.”
At Oke Ako Ekiti, Oyebanji, while applauding the youths for their dexterity and commitment to success of the project, assured the people that his government had already concluded plans to commence rehabilitation of the road from Ayedun to Oke Ako with a pledge to also provide electricity to the town within a short time.
At the palace of the Regent of Oke Ako, the Governor assured that those whose farms were acquired and enumeration completed would receive their compensation within two weeks.
He pleaded with them to maintain decorum with the investors and the youths carrying out farming in the area. He assured that no member of the community has collected any money from the government on their behalf.
He also hailed the people of Iyemero Ekiti and Gede, for their support for the projects, adding that road infrastructure would be prioritized in the area to enhance movement of produce.
“Despite the shortage of rain this year, you’re not discouraged, we’re looking at a process whereby we provide irrigation and as well provide each of you with a pair of rain coats and boots. We will also provide a vehicle to each of the groups to allow for easy mobility and make the farms accessible at all times.”
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