According to the governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, Nigeria spends around N500 million a year on the importation of dairy products; as a result, there is a need to emphasize on agriculture and production to spur economic growth and development.
In Benin City, Edo State, the governor made this statement as he welcomed a delegation from Heifer International to the government residence.
He said that in order to strengthen the economy of the state, address food insecurity, and generate wealth for citizens, his government is putting a priority on agricultural production and maintaining investment in the industry.
He asserts that “we have a small State with around five million people, 70% of them are under the age of 35, and we need to make them know and understand that we no longer have the resources to import food as Nigeria spends over half a billion US dollars importing dairy goods.”
“Food and food security are very important, especially protein sufficiency for the majority of our people, especially youngsters,” stated Obaseki. We are a wealthy nation with a sizable and wealthy population, and at some point in our history, we turned away from agricultural production after discovering crude oil because we believed we had enough gasoline, naira, and dollars to get by, forgetting that there are moments in life when we must create the food we would eat.
“We became impoverished by exporting everything, even food and food products. Every year, we spend billions of dollars and naira on food that we can grow ourselves.
He said that, as a government, “we consider our job as one that enables things to happen,” noting that his administration thrives on collaboration.
As facilitators, we consider our responsibility as the capacity to mobilize resources, notably human capacity and expertise, and to direct them where we sense their priority.
“Interestingly, we try to start something in the field of agriculture with partners, but we run into some obstacles and are working to overcome them. We have obtained our partners’ commitment to invest in a contemporary farm from which we would breed day-old chicks and sell them.
It will take a lot of work and there is a long way to go, but we appreciate the technology and support from the front end and realize that we must move back up the value chain and consider how to create the grains, vitamins, and feeds required to expand the chicken industry.
As the results of the government’s investment in agriculture were apparent, the governor said: “Last year, we provided 60,000 hectares of new farmland for estate farmers to grow oil palm. For us, the lessons learned are to work with our partners to create the institution to train extension workers, farmers, and human capacity so that we can better understand what is happening, support the farmers and keep an eye on what they are doing to ensure their yield and help them make money and sustain their businesses, and so that we can better understand what is going on.
“As a government, we are investing inside, reshaping our thinking, and transitioning from an era in which government made investments to one in which it facilitates investment. Although it’s not an easy shift, the government is still making the investments and keeping the focus.
“We value our cooperation with Heifer International. We are delighted that you are here to see what we are doing and will try our best to take advantage of this chance of our relationship. 79 years of existence and knowledge is not a small thing to attain.
When praising the government’s dedication to achieving food security earlier, the delegation’s head, Hilary Haddigan, said: “We represent almost 500 partners and funders that support our work. While our objective is to empower 10 million smallholder farmers, our aim is to alleviate poverty and protect the environment.
Farmers in the State who are getting ready to receive chicken products have met with us. We would like to work with your government and thank you for making smallholder farmers’ life happier here in Edo State.
