EKITI RETURNING TO AWOLOWO'S FARM SETTLEMENT ERA TO BOOST FOOD SECURITY, SAYS OYEBANJI

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, has said his administration is returning the state to the farm settlement era witnessed in the old Western Region under the leadership of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, in order to boost agriculture and food security.

The Governor who utilized the Independence anniversary public holiday to undertake a visit to young farmers in three cluster areas in the state, on Tuesday disclosed this during his visit to the Ikere Farm settlement. He also said construction work on ultramodern dormitories at the farm settlements would commence within the next three weeks.

About 930 youths are involved in the youth agriculture scheme known as “ Bring Back Youth into Agriculture” being carried out the state government in collaboration with a private entity YSJ Farms. Under the scheme the Government provides land to the young farmers, assists them with land clearing and seedlings as well as agric extension services among others. It also has an arrangement to buy their products for storage purposes.

The Governor said he was determined to invest hugely in agriculture, as a form of empowerment for the youths, to ensure food security and to drive industrialization. He stressed that revamping the old farm settlement strategy of the late Chief Awolowo was the only way to ensure the young farmers stay on the farms and maximize government’s support for the scheme.

Governor Oyebanji also made stopovers at some farms and took time to personally interact with farmers and asked of their needs which he drew the attention of the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Ebenezer Boluwade to for prompt action.

The proposed dormitories for the young farmers, according to him, would have facilities like sitting rooms, kitchens, security posts, sick bays, among others in his administration's bid to attract more young farmers into agribusiness and turn the state into a huge agriculture hub.

The three clusters visited by the Governor and some officials included those in Eporo-Emure, Ikere and Aramoko-Erio where he monitored the young farmers who are participating in one of the agricultural initiatives of his administration “Bring Back the Youth in Agriculture.

Oyebanji also assured of the readiness of his administration to expedite action on other requests of the young farmers which include motorable roads, security at the locations and provision of vehicles and motorcycles to aid mobility of the participants.

The Governor had to defy the challenge of muddy and swampy terrain posed by the road which led to the Aramoko-Erio cluster by hopping on a motorcycle in his determined bid to reach the young farmers who were excited by his gesture of getting to the place to pay them a morale-boosting visit.

Oyebanji who had earlier paid visits to Oke Ako, Iyemero and Igede Farm Settlements over the weekend, said it was unacceptable for the people of the State to be complaining of hunger and be queuing up for palliative materials when the State is blessed with arable land, stressing that a paradigm shift has just begun with his administration's investment in agriculture.

He described agriculture as a lucrative business noting that farmers are among the richest set of people in developed economies pointing out that the participating youths in particular and the state in general would reap bountiful harvest in agribusiness in the long run.

The Governor assured the youths of security in all the clusters visited, adding that a massive security cordon has been woven around the locations which he said would be consolidated upon to eliminate all forms of criminality in the area.

He commended the Chief Executive Officer of YSJ Farms, Mrs Yemisi Joluwe, for partnering with his administration to take agriculture to a higher pedestal.

Oyebanji explained that with the massive clearing of land for agricultural purposes carried out by his administration, the stage has been set for the resuscitation of farm settlements established during under the leadership of Awolowo to ensure mass production of food for location consumption, export and provision of job opportunities for the teeming youths.

“The land we are returning to now were last cleared by Chief Awolowo during his time as Premier in Western Region.

"This is the beginning of greater things that will happen in Ekiti State. Western Region was renowned for agriculture under Chief Awolowo and he developed Western Region without oil money and we had food surplus in those days. With what we are doing with our youths now, we are returning to the era of Awolowo's farm settlements.

"In Ekiti State, only six local government chairmen have keyed into this initiative. I want to ask other local government chairmen that have not keyed into this project to do so. Within the next three weeks, construction of the dormitories will start. We now have more youths showing interest in the scheme, they will have that opportunity to join in the next stage once we get more land”, the Governor added .

The Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu Alagbado, who lauded the Governor's vision to invest in agriculture pledged the support of his kingdom for the project and charged the youths of the town who are participants in the scheme to work hard and justify their inclusion.

In all the three locations visited by the Governor, the participants including Margaret Basorun, Olu Okeya, Kolawole Ganiyu and Folasade Filani hailed the state government and YSJ for giving them a platform for self development and to contribute to the state economy.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/mcSfvxvQ7VQRNjuL/?mibextid=oFDknk

ftc hopefully best mnth ever

Beautiful

Gen Z thinks farming is for poor people that didn't go to school.

The Governor is trying sha.

See road

Those who have vast land should do the farming while we in the Dot do the trading.....

Common sense .. we have what we need close to us but always look for what's far away from us.

another political lamba

The wailers are not saying anything now.

Show booze

AngelGabbyShara:
EKITI RETURNING TO AWOLOWO'S FARM SETTLEMENT ERA TO BOOST FOOD SECURITY, SAYS OYEBANJI



https://www.facebook.com/share/p/mcSfvxvQ7VQRNjuL/?mibextid=oFDknk

Great

Pootle:
another political lamba

This is not pandora pathological liar Obi na.

Very laudable

Noted.

Plenty lands everywhere and mumu people still deh blame govt for food shortage .

una no go get sense by the grace of God ... make people weh their heads correct fit deh take advantage of una gullibility

This is a very pragmatic move...
The Ekiti state governor appears to be right-thinking. This move will ensure food security for the state, create jobs for the youths, and also earn money for the state....

All the Awolowo south western farm settlements are still there but have been abandoned and rendered derelict...

oneMalik:
Plenty lands everywhere and mumu people still deh blame govt for food shortage .

una no go get sense by the grace of God ... make people weh their heads correct fit deh take advantage of una gullibility

The guys will still sell the farm and use the money to buy okada and return to the city.

The best people to drive agricultural revolution in Nigeria are youth copers, if the government is really serious.

Why are some tribe quick to condemn

Foods are not expensive, it's expensive because you are waiting for someone far away to plant and sell it to you, whatever it is you can't do yourself, someone else will do it for you at heavy price.

oneMalik:
Plenty lands everywhere and mumu people still deh blame govt for food shortage .

una no go get sense by the grace of God ... make people weh their heads correct fit deh take advantage of una gullibility

Land full everywhere, so also insecurities full everywhere, whereby farmers are being kidnapped and killed. Cost of transportation full everywhere where by the little harvested, the prices go up... Land full everywhere, yet one seed of corn, I don't think you have planted...

AngelGabbyShara:
EKITI RETURNING TO AWOLOWO'S FARM SETTLEMENT ERA TO BOOST FOOD SECURITY, SAYS OYEBANJI

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/mcSfvxvQ7VQRNjuL/?mibextid=oFDknk

Why is the progressive governor failing to do the basic things of free primary schools and free basic healthcare to show that he is not just a clown and a joker

Alliswell248:
Beautiful

Most of you dont understand..
what is involved in Agriculture....including the Governor too...
That's why u re calling dis beautiful...
Just see the road network on the pics...
And look at the farmer using hand sprayer...
For a maize farm of the size...
These are just the peripherals...problems...
When you now see the chaos in Agric value chain Plus fulani wahala...
U will understand why nearly all the Zimbabwe farmers
ran away from Nigeria...
And all the Songhai farms has closed up....in Nigeria...

This is exactly what states in Southern Nigeria should be doing now since bandits have totally overrun the North.

oneMalik:
Plenty lands everywhere and mumu people still deh blame govt for food shortage .

una no go get sense by the grace of God ... make people weh their heads correct fit deh take advantage of una gullibility

atomic bomb

AngelGabbyShara:
EKITI RETURNING TO AWOLOWO'S FARM SETTLEMENT ERA TO BOOST FOOD SECURITY, SAYS OYEBANJI



https://www.facebook.com/share/p/mcSfvxvQ7VQRNjuL/?mibextid=oFDknk

Nigerians should use their resources for their own benefit not everything should be imported

BeigJawnson:



Land full everywhere, so also insecurities full everywhere, whereby farmers are being kidnapped and killed. Cost of transportation full everywhere where by the little harvested, the prices go up... Land full everywhere, yet one seed of corn, I don't think you have planted...

Keep blaming tinubu rather than blaming your state govs for not being proactive enough to promote initiatives such as this to boost local economy.....every state in Nigeria has land that can be developed for modern agriculture to improve productivity.

If you have clusters such as this you are indirectly bringing development to those hitherto undeveloped parts of the state by providing social amenities, infrastructure and security......bandits and killer herdsmen don't thrive in developed communities.

Many youths are wasting away in the cities riding okada and doing other menial jobs while leaving the lands fallow,why won't food be expensive.......this is directly under the purview of state govs and not tinubu......that's why we always laugh at those always blaming tinubu for the lacuna we have found ourselves.

Vxz

Goodluck but so much noise from ekiti there days hope it's back with action?