The Ekiti State Government has called on the private sector and investors in the country to support the state’s agricultural drive by investing in the livestock commercial centre located in the Erefun area of the state capital.
The Commissioner of Agriculture and Food Security, Ebenezer Boluwade, spoke with newsmen during a tour of the centre alongside his information counterpart, Taiwo Olatunbosun.
The Commissioner noted that there is a trend of ‘quick money schemes’ in the country, hence the reason for the ministry to secure businesses in the agricultural sector with a very short gestation period for the youth.
He stated that the Ekiti state government, through the Ministry of Agriculture,” is passionate about training youth who have passion and zeal for the sector in order to reduce unemployment in the absence of white-collar jobs.”
The Commissioner revealed that necessary support in the form of grants and loans will be provided for the youths to make them independent as ‘agricultural entrepreneurs.’
Boluwade said, “The concept is to help youth interested in agribusiness—not just interest, but commitment and passion for the business. To serve as an incubation centre for them to learn the art and science and go back and stand on their own.
“We have 62 youths on the ground currently training in the centre, and we are still calling for more.”
On the Ekiti Broiler Production Scheme, he said there are 19,000 broilers available to sell to off-loaders, with efforts ongoing to produce more.
On his part, Olatunbosun hailed Governor Biodun Oyebanji for his profound interest in the development of the agricultural sector in Ekiti State, calling on youths to be involved in the innovation provided by the government as it will help reduce poverty and unemployment in Ekiti.
The commissioner for information said, “We are here to show the world that Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji is working the talk and that he is fulfilling the promises he made to the Ekiti people during his electioneering campaign.
“Taking those promises to reality and as part of the deliberate policy and mission of the Governor to provide jobs for youth, equally create wealth, and ensure that revenue generation is improved, he has taken agriculture and rural development as one of the major six pillars.
“Part of that is the area of industrialization, providing infrastructural development, and creating jobs for the youth. All these things are contiguous and interrelated.
“The focus of Mr Governor, particularly what we have come to see here today, is to encourage our young ones and take the usual agricultural standard we use to practise it to a more advanced level, from subsistence to a commercialised agribusiness, and to create an agribusiness in our land.”
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