Ekiti to attract $200m investment in agric, targets 500,000 employment slots

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, on Tuesday, said his administration has put in place necessary machinery to contribute the state’s quota to national development by attracting $200 million investment in Agriculture sector.

Fayemi said the ventures, when fully operational, will provide jobs for more than 500,000 Ekiti people both directly and indirectly, adding that these were parts of efforts aimed at transforming the state from being a civil servant economy to an agric-based industrialized economy.

The Governor disclosed these at an interactive session with Ekiti Youth themed, “Ekiti Youth, Lets talk: Engaging youth in agribusiness,” in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

Fayemi who presented a paper and sat through one of the sessions, also cut his birthday cake with the young Ekiti entrepreneurs at the event, which was also attended by his wife, Bisi Fayemi and some top government officials.

He explained that the farm settlements and farm centres have been repositioned for massive harvest and processing, in order to feed the cargo airport upon completion, ” so that Ekiti will become food basket in Nigeria and a net exporter of semi-finished farm produce and products.”

Fayemi who highlighted some programmes and policies of the government that have created opportunities for youth in commercial agriculture, urged the youth to embrace agriculture with an assurance that his administration would continue to provide the additional impetus that would make agribusiness attractive and lucrative in the state.

Describing Ekiti youths as hardworking, Fayemi stressed the need for young and energetic youth to venture into agriculture to diversify the national economy.

He stressed that the government’s efforts and youth engagement in agribusiness can assist the nation in closing the food deficit gap of over 3 trillion naira recorded between 2006 and 2019 in the country.

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Ekiti to attract $200m investment in agric, targets 500,000 employment slots

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