THE Kogi State government has restated its commitment to creating an enabling environment for the much-needed agricultural revolution, assuring Nigerians that Kogi rice would bridge the gap between demand and supply across the nation.
The director general, media and publicity to the governor, Kingsley Fanwo, said the state was emerging the number one agricultural state in the country.
According to him, the state was determined to strengthen her lead in cashew production and also take over the leading role in cassava and rice production.
He said, “Kogi State had declared a state of emergency in the agricultural sector long before the unstable revenue generation in the state. The administration of Alhaji Yahaya Bello has placed agriculture on the front burners of its economic prosperity plan known as the New Direction Agenda.
“A massive revolution is going on across the state in the area of rice production. Kampe Omi Dam Project is breathing down on the leading rice producers in the country. Our rice mill is near completion and the nation will be shocked by the magnitude of work put in place to ensure rice sufficiency in Nigeria. We are also working on the Ibaji Rice Farm which has the potential of causing a revolution in the nation’s rice production.
“We attach great importance to the value chain and the multiplier effect agriculture can have on the economy of our dear state. In 2023, we want Kogi to become the food capital of Nigeria and this administration is working towards that.”
Fanwo said the state government would continue to welcome genuine investors in the agricultural sector in order to create jobs for the teeming youth in the state.
“We appreciate the torrent of awards given to Governor Yahaya Bello for hacking insecurity to the ground with the support of the security agencies in the state. But he is also of the opinion that insecurity will never be defeated without food and jobs. Agriculture can give us the two.
“What we are building at Omi Dam is capable of sparking mass resignation from the civil service as our people are seeing a window of opportunity to prosperity through agriculture”.
He called on the labour leaders in the state to explore the to engage in dialogue as a peaceful means of crisis resolution, saying the threat of strike was fast becoming “old fashioned and fascist”.
“I urge Labour, not only in Kogi State but across the nation to embrace dialogue as a peaceful means of crisis resolution rather than heightening temperatures with threats of strike. Every man hour loss is a blow to the economy. No party benefits from strike.”
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