Osun Signs MoU With IITA On Improved Seedlings

The agreement is aimed at making available improved seedlings, the government said, which is imperative since agriculture remains an alternative to dwindling oil revenue from the federation account.
The government also claimed it has entered into partnership with the Institute for the Establishment of Seed Laboratory, IESL, in collaboration with the state’s university, UNIOSUN, to enhance profitable seed and seedling multiplication business in the state. In his remarks during the signing ceremony at IITA, Ibadan, Director General, Office of Economic Development and Partnerships, OEDP, Dr. Charles Diji Akinola, said the partnership with the institute would help the state achieve the goal of seed multiplication programme under its Rural Enterprise and Agriculture Programme, O-REAP, to prevent yield failure due to low quality seeds.
Akinola, the state coordinator of OREAP further disclosed that IITA will support the partnership technically for it to achieve the objective of production of quality seeds, in terms of breeding, production and certification of seeds quality.
The Deputy Director General, Partnerships and Capacity Development of the institute, Dr. Kenton Dashiell, in his response promised it would ensure that the agreement with Osun State government yield positive results.
NATIONAL MIRROR