Ogun Best in Youths Empowerment, Agricultural industrialization – CBN Governor
In line with the focus of the federal government of Nigeria to diversify, strengthen the economy and create jobs through profitable agricultural practices, the CBN governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele said Ogun state government has been proactive by taking the lead in the entire South West.
Emefiele stated this at the apex bank’s meeting with agriculture stakeholders in Lagos.
The Nation’s Number One banker promised to use Ogun state as a model for economic growth in the entire South West region because of its innovation in agriculture entrepreneurship.
The CBN boss said the State has ventured into agriculture in a big way its subscription to the apex bank’s Anchor Borrower Scheme.
By tapping into this scheme, Emefiele said, Ogun would soon cause a surge in urban rural migration “because more young people would find it more rewarding to leave the congested cities for a good life occasioned by profitable agribusiness in the remote areas”.
Speaking on behalf of the Ogun State Governor, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mrs Adenike Ogunleye thanked the CBN governor and expressed the readiness of the State Government to take the bull by the horns.
She emphasized that the state being the state with the largest concentration of Cassava processors in the country would take advantage of the derivatives of cassava to cause an economic turnaround for the state and the country.
Relying on the high demand for cassava derivatives like ethanol, starch, cassava chips, glue for plywood, etc by companies like Nestlé, Unilever, Dangote factory and pharmaceutical companies, Mrs Ogunleye said an unprecedented economic growth is underway in the State.
Having launched its Anchor Borrower Programme in August, the Permanent Secretary hinted that the state “insists on best agronomy practices as well as training and strengthening the farmers, providing land, monitoring their activities while linking farmers with relevant markets for their return on investments”.
The CBN Management, however, demanded that the Ogun team turn in their work plan, account numbers of farmers, location of mapped land and available processors in no distant time.
The CBN contended that the revolution witnessed in rice could be replicated in cassava as the demand for cassava derivatives had become high.
At the meeting were the representatives of IITA, foreign investors, representatives of Ogun and Lagos state governments, president and executive members of Cassava Growers Association, chairman of All Farmers Association in Ogun state and the CBN management team.
