To achieve its agricultural development objectives, the State of Osun has designed and is implementing the Osun Rural Enterprise and Agriculture Program also known as O-REAP. Agriculture has been the main stay of Osun’s economy over the decades, especially since the giant strides made by the old Western Region Government. However, very little progress has been made over the years in building on this foundation to transform the economy of the State using agriculture as a driver. Due to a lack of focus in the agriculture sector, the gains achieved by the Western Region government have been gradually eroded. O-REAP is the State’s programme to achieve agriculture reformation and economic growth.
Vision
To make the State of Osun the food basket of the South West
Mission
Serve 10% of the Lagos food market
Strategic Objectives
- Food Security
Increase the cultivation of arable crops such as maize, cassava, cowpea, vegetables, etc. for local consumption. This will ensure that food is available in the State of Osun in sufficient quantity and at affordable prices. It also ensures that the State is adequately protected against natural disasters such as drought; food shortages; and the vagaries of the market place such as price inflation. - Job Creation and Youth Empowerment
Create job opportunities for farmers through massive increase in agricultural production. Agribusiness opportunities will be created by linking farmers to consumer and industrial food markets for the selling of their produce. Their capacity to capture more value along the agricultural value chain will also be enhanced through the development of support schemes towards their participation in the establishment and operation of upstream and downstream ancillary agro-allied industries. - Economic Transformation Using Agriculture as a Key Driver
Leverage the comparative and competitive advantages of the State in agriculture to transform its economy. As a producer driven industry, the majority of farmers would fall into the category of small and medium scale enterprises (SME). SME’s have been known to be the driver of economic growth in several countries around world. They account for 90% of businesses and employ on average 50% of a nation’s workforce. - Wealth Creation
Increase household income for individuals engaged in the agriculture sector and other agro-allied industries. As farmers will now be part of the formal sector, O-REAP will also lead to an increase in the internally generated revenue of the State through the payment of taxes.
For more information about O-REAP visit: http://osunagric.org/oreap-youth-academy/