Osun Seeks Partnership With Foreign Investors On Agriculture

Osun State Government has sought partnership with foreign and local investors in the area of agriculture in a move to diversify its sources of revenue following a decline in the allocation from the federation account.
The Director-General, Office of Economic Development and Partnership, Osun State, Dr. Charles Akinola, said this while addressing a delegation of investors from Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.
According to a statement made available to our correspondent on Tuesday, the foreign investors were led to the state by the Nigerian Ambassador to Brazil, Chief Chive Kaave.
The DG, after enumerating the policies of the state government led by Governor Rauf Aregbesola, said the investors could key into any of the areas.
He told the investors that the state had climatic condition suitable for most agricultural products existing in the three countries.
He explained that the partnership could be in mechanised farming, livestock, food processing and other areas.
Akinola said, “We are interested in all-season farming and we need to do so because the state government plans to supply at least 10 per cent of the food consumed in Lagos and we need to go into commercial agriculture to be able to achieve this.
“We want to promote Osun through Small Scale Enterprises into industrial growing nation and for this singular reason we are developing all farm settlements.
“Over 190,000 acres of land had been prepared for the purpose of developing agriculture and encouraging banks to bring in people who are interest in large scale agriculture through different partnership.”
The envoy assured the investors that the government would provide conducive atmosphere for the partnership to work.
Kaave also stated that there was an urgent need for Nigeria to develop the non oil sector to be able to fund projects and develop the people, especially with the dwindling resources from oil.
PUNCH