FAYOSE – FG SHOULD DECLARE EMERGENCY ON AGRIC

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose

The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has urged the Federal Government to declare an emergency on the agriculture sector to achieve its aim of diversification and fighting hunger.


Fayose, while declaring open a four-day agricultural summit, organised by the state government in Ado Ekiti said states are financially handicapped to invest heavily in the sector.

Fayose, who said the step became imperative in view of the dwindling revenues from the oil sector, charged the Federal Government to devote more funds to agriculture, especially in food production to encourage more Nigerians to farming.

According to the Guardian, Fayose counseled the Federal Government to also do more by way of increasing electricity generation in the country and in provision of storage facilities to add value to agricultural products.

Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh and the founder of Afe Babalola University, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), said the country could only have economic breakthrough only if serious investment was done in agric.

Ogbeh, who was represented by the Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture in Ekiti, Dr. Ladipo Kolade, noted that the country was prosperous during the period when agriculture was the backbone of the economy.

He said: “During these years, we can boast of good investment in groundnut, cocoa and palm oil. They were resources of our foreign earnings; there was pride and economic boom until things changed for bad. But President Muhammadu Buhari’s government is supporting the farmers through the CBN agricultural loan disbursement scheme. About 94,972 farmers are to benefit under this scheme in the 2016 budget.

Chief Afe Babalola called for 50 percent reduction in school fees for agric related courses in the Nigeria universities, to encourage youths in acquiring professional skillsin business of food production.