Oyo State Government in partnership with the World Bank has engaged the farmers in utilisation of undeveloped acres of land across the 33 local government areas for mechanized farming.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Barr. Olasunkanmi Olaleye while underscoring the need for utilization of undeveloped acres of land at different locations in the state submitted that aside from boosting the food production, it would create employment opportunities for the teeming youths in the state.
This was his submission at the State Awareness Creation/Stakeholders Engagement Workshop on Framework for Responsible and Inclusive Land Intensive Agriculture ( FRILIA) for Ido, Oluyole’, SAkinyele, Ona-Ara, Lagelu and Egbeda local government councils in Akanran.
He submitted that most of the undeveloped acres of land have become hideouts for the criminals.
The Commissioner, however, stated that to put an end to it, the State government in partnership with the World Bank came up with a Project known as FRILIA to let the respective landowners know that such land can be leased for Agricultural purposes.
According to him, The programme is the initiative of the Governor’s”Forum and the World Bank. It is borne out of the need to increase the food productivity in their respective state.
“It is Public Private Partnership arrangement whereby the land owners can lease out their land to intending farmers for mechanized farming.
“It is not going to be an outright sale of the land but lease arrangement that will be of benefit to the rightful owners of the land.
“The two parties will enter into a bilateral agreement with the conditions that will be rightly spelled out. The agreement may be in terms of employment opportunities or any other benefits.
The FRILIA will among other things take care of Grievance Redress Mechanisms, Accountability, and Environmental Sustainability.
Speaking in the same vein, the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr. Williams Akin-Funmilayo enjoined the respective land owners in the 33 local government areas to take advantage of the opportunities provided by FRILIA.
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