Osun Signs MoU with IITA on Agriculture
In a bid to make agriculture the mainstay of its economy, Osun State Governor of Osun, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
The signing ceremony which took place at the governor’s Office in Osogbo will have the state release 204.39 hectares of land around Ago Owu to IITA for the purpose of conducting research and setting up demonstration farms for best farming practices.
IITA, in turn will also carry out cassava, plantain and other crops multiplication and train Osun youths on modern, commercial and profitable farming.
Signing the MoU on behalf of the state government, Governor Aregbesola said releasing the farmland to IITA would complement Osun agriculture programme, extend robustly the agriculture value chain and create jobs for farmers, especially the youths that are being attracted to farming.
The Governor commended IITA and its Director General Dr. Nteranya Sanging for being supportive of Osun’s flagship agriculture programme, Osun Rural Enterprise and Agriculture Programme (O’REAP).
He stressed that agricultural development especially food production has been the main thrust of his administration’s policies since his assumption of office in November, 2010.
The Governor attributed challenges facing farmers to lack of critical linkage between agricultural research and implementation, adding that with the MoU and partnership with IITA, Osun stands to have direct-to-farm linkage of scientific innovations in farming with the best of agriculture scientists.
According to him, “our focus must shift to agriculture if we must survive the looming financial storm. Osun is a predominantly agrarian state.
Agricultural development, especially for food production, has been the main thrust of our administration’s policies since our coming in November 2010.
“Our relationship with IITA, therefore, looks like it was made in heaven. Given our commitment to agriculture, it is inevitable that our paths would cross,” the governor stressed.
Speaking earlier, the Director General Office of Economic Development and Partnerships (OEDP), Dr. Charles Akinola said there had been relationship with IITA for over four years.
He held that the MoU is an epoch-making event that would facilitate a working relationship with OREAP carrying out crop multiplication and all inputs of planting material will be adequately considered.
In his address, the Director General of IITA, Dr. Sanging stated that the time has come for Nigeria to diversify from its dependence on oil, saying with the disappearance of the oil boom, the country must turn to agriculture to survive.
He said the only source of wealth for Africa is agriculture, noting that agriculture is one of the best ways to get the teeming youth of Africa employed.
He implored Governor Aregbesola to keep to his own side of the MoU, adding that IITA would hit the ground running in Osun with the 1,000 extension workers provided by the state for the multiplication of seedlings.