Governors of South West states recently converged on Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, over a backward integration policy on agricultural production aimed at re-positioning the agricultural sector of their respective states.

This is towards driving socio-economic growth and enhancing integration plans of the South West states. The South West backward integration policy, according to official report, is expected to focus on capacity building of farmers and agriculturalists in the region, finance of farmers and agricultural production, preservation and processing through credit facility and government subventions as well as technical intervention.

The agric parley, which was attended by Jide Arowosafe, Gbolahan Lawal, Ronke Sokefun, commissioners for agriculture in Ekiti, Lagos and Ogun states, respectively, as well as Kunle Adeduntan, permanent secretary, ministry of agriculture, Oyo State, showed that the region had concluded plans to revive agriculture that used to be its economic mainstay.

Speaking with newsmen after the parley, Jide Arowosafe, commissioner for agriculture, Ekiti State, disclosed that the four states had agreed to have a unified way of financing agricultural projects and building the capacity of farmers rather than doing it individually, adding that this would go a long way in repositioning agriculture as the mainstay of the economy.

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, adding that farmers’ capacity building programmes would be jointly organised on new trends in farming practices through a joint training institute.

May the force of Oduduwa and our ancestors be with us!

Governors of South West states recently converged on Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, over a backward integration policy on agricultural production aimed at re-positioning the agricultural sector of their respective states.

May Almighty God shower HIS blessings over u all

the SW has the most ag. potential in Nigeria, no the north. Water is scarce in the north and though land is abundant the access to water is a journey once you venture away from the Benue/Niger. Plus you have to dig deeper to reach water with boreholes in the north. I hope the policy is effective so that production is boosted. Proximity to Lagosian manufactures won't hurt either.

Ikengawo: the SW has the most ag. potential in Nigeria, no the north. Water is scarce in the north and though land is abundant the access to water is a journey once you venture away from the Benue/Niger. Plus you have to dig deeper to reach water with boreholes in the north. I hope the policy is effective so that production is boosted. Proximity to Lagosian manufactures won't hurt either.

There is an angle to the civil war which most people are unfamiliar with, Im going to tell it here.

You can draw a map for anything! A map for thermal flow, a map for trade winds, a map for precipitation, a map for nomadic trails, a map for agricultural exchanges and so on...

There is a history of agricultural exchange between North and East. The North served as a supplier of food crops and vegetables to East. Easterners were subsistence farmers growing yams for family consumption and was a market for farm products harvested in North. The interexchange led to Ibo settlements in the North and explains the birth of Zik, Ojukwu, Nzeogwu and a host of other Ibo political pioneers in the North.

During the war, this supply/demand interchange was blockaded contributing to suffering in East. The Northerner also suffered the impact because they ended up with surplus and no market. There are accounts of Northern farmers who made the decision to join the army for the sake of earning a living to save face from the humiliation of a total loss of livelihood.

As evidenced by this article, the forward march has become ardous, Yoruba is cutting its losses, it is going back to where it left off on the agricultural self sufficiency so it can reinvent its future. It will be nice to hear something similar soon from the East. Do not depend on anyone for your food.

They are only trying to take advantage of FG/GEJ led govt on Agriculture.Thumbs up GEJ is working