New agricultural investments are expected to start unfolding in Oyo state after the government formally endorsed the release of funds to International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) for the development of a 20-year agricultural policy roadmap.
The move signals the immediate start of the development of the framework, which is a collaboration between IITA, Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), and the Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Rural Development.
The official ceremony was held at IITA in Ibadan and attended by a delegation from the Oyo State government led by the Commissioner of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Rural Development, Prince Oyewole Oyewumi; the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Victor Atilola; and the Special Adviser on Agriculture to the Governor of Oyo State, Prof Oluwasegun Adekunle.
Deputy director-general, Partnerships for Delivery, IITA, Kenton Dashiell, at the forum stated: “We sincerely appreciate the strong support and partnerships we have with the government of Oyo State, who today is raising the bar of that partnership and collaboration to a whole new level that we haven’t seen in 51 years. So it’s quite a significant day.” Dashiell described the joint program as an excellent long-term vision of His Excellency, the Governor of Oyo State and his team because they have seen that it is important for the government to “have consistently good agricultural policies as a foundation for development.
“The development of the roadmap is the first task in this partnership, which when finished, can be used by the present government and hopefully by subsequent administrations.”
The second major effort is to develop an agro-industrial park in two different locations in Oyo State. Dashiell said the vision is outstanding because it “will serve multiple purposes, one of which is to develop a standard model farm and agro-processing center so that investors can come to Oyo State and see what is possible and be inspired to do more.”
Senior agricultural economist, IITA, Tahirou Abdoulaye, gave an overview of the processes that led to the development of the framework, which originated with a request for support from Oyo State Governor Abiola Isiaka Ajimobi to IITA Director General, Nteranya Sanginga.
(Leadership)
