Edo Governor initiates Agric Committee, targets 80, 000 jobs

• Obaseki partners with private sector to revamp agriculture in Edo state

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has inaugurated a nine-man ad-hoc committee to start agricultural empowerment programme targeted at creating 50,000 to 80,000 jobs.

The governor explained that the committee was constituted to commence some of the administration’s agricultural activities before the next cropping season towards reviving agriculture in the state.

“This is an advocacy committee which we expect to start the agriculture mandate as contained in my manifesto. We will soon constitute a full committee to look at our agricultural initiative.

We want to ensure we begin some of our agricultural activities before the next cropping season. We want this committee to help the government think and identify the project we must implement”, he said.

Speaking on the scope of the programme, Obaseki highlighted four areas of focus including 5,000 hectares of maize, 10,000 hectares of green house for vegetables and tomatoes, 4,000 hectares of piggery.

Obaseki also avowed that his administration would provide support for 3,000 cocoa farmers to improve their yields.

The committee headed by the Obazelu of Benin, Chief Osaro Idah is a product of the Public Private Partnership between the State and private sector partners.

Expressing optimism that the partnership will lead to generation of employment for youths in the state, the governor noted that the partnership will also create wealth through agricultural activities and ensuring food security for the over 4 million people of the State.

He added that the Ministry of Agriculture will serve as the secretariat while the Secretary to the State Government will provide the necessary support to the committee that will in turn submit reports on the level of progress being made, weekly.