Dr. Olabode Adetoyi, the former commissioner for agriculture in Ekiti State, has said that the agricultural programs put in place under former Governor Kayode Fayemi’s leadership increased the state’s internally generated revenue from N350 million to N1 billion.
According to Adetoyi, who spoke to reporters on Monday, such projects will transform the state’s economy from one reliant on the traditional civil service to one that is independent.
According to Olabode, some of these programs included individual farmers, cooperatives, youths, and communities, creating over 12,000 jobs while also making agriculture appealing to the population of young people.
“It has increased investors’ presence within the state thereby increasing the state IGR from ₦350 Million to over ₦1 Billion.
“Projecting the state from the usual civil service economy to a self-reliant state.
“Some of these projects engaged individual farmers, cooperatives, youths and communities alike. It has generated over 12,000 employment/engagement, also making Agribusiness attractive to the youth’s populace.
“Clearing of rural roads through Rural Access Agricultural and Marketing Project has enabled accessibility to farms and bringing out farm produce to market.
“Support of combine harvesters from the Japanese Government being used by farmers has reduced wastage of paddy in rice harvest.
“The Rice pyramid program has helped to scale up the rice production in Ekiti State from 350 metric tons to 750 metric tons,” he said.
Adetoyi claimed that the state was successful in luring more than $350 million in investment to Ekiti through the use of public-private partnerships.
He said that as a result, Promasidor and the Ekiti State Government formed a partnership that gave birth to the Ikun Dairy farm, which produces milk and operates a cattle ranching system in Nigeria.
He claims that more than 25 investors have taken up residence in the state’s agricultural processing zone and farm estates, including Ikun Dairy Farms/Promasidor, Agbeyewa Farms Ltd/Axxess.com USA, Lancaster Farms Ltd with headquarters in the UK, Chodchod Investment, Lagos, Truvis Agro Ltd, Lagos, Promise Point Ltd, FMS Agro Ltd, Arog. Bio, and many others.
His company, Value Ingredients Ltd., has a branch in Ado, Ekiti, and he serves as its chairman and founder.
He served as the Chairman of the Youth in Commercial Agriculture Development Ekiti State, a Director of Fountain Holdings Ltd., a member of the Ekiti -State Covid 19 Resource Mobilization Committee, and the Hon. Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security Ekiti State from August 31, 2020, to October 15, 2022.
