As part of government’s efforts at linking smallholder farmers to agro-industrial opportunities, the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has reiterated his administration’s resolve to deliver the agro-cargo airport to further boost agricultural investments in the State.

Prince Abiodun revealed this at an award ceremony organised by Nigeria Agriculture Awards (NAA), where he bagged for the second time, the award of the Governor of the year in Agriculture, 2021, in Abuja.

Abiodun said the Annual Feed Nigeria Summit, supported by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, African Development Bank (AfDB), and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), was an indication that the government was engaging all development partners to enhance the drive for self-sufficiency in Agricultural production in Nigeria.

He said the decision to align the State agricultural agenda with that of the federal government had been largely beneficial to the State, in terms of Anchor Borrowers programme (ABP), training programmes for farmers and extension officers, land clearing for youth farming and inputs distribution, as well as processing equipment supplied to farmer groups, among others.

Governor Abiodun, represented by the Commissioners for Special Duties, Barr. Femi Ogunbanwo and Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina, disclosed that the State has been on a mission to partner private sector and international development bodies to engender support for smallholder farmers, create jobs, ensure food security, agricultural industrialisation and linkage of growers and farmers to industrial process, through an innovative value chain approach.

"We have made concerted efforts in terms of encouraging youths and women to come into agriculture and we have been giving them inputs and technical know-how through the Planting Materials Palliative (PMP) initiative, which will make them capable of supplying services and raw materials to numerous agro-industries in the State and even the potential industries that will come with the completion of the agro-cargo airport and industrial hub", Abiodun stated.

Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina, also received an award as the Agriculture Commissioner for the year 2021, at the event.