Food Security: DAWN hints at South-West strategies for large-scale agricultural production

*Seye Oyeleye, Director-General of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria Commission, unveils plans to boost agricultural production, urging Commissioners for Agriculture in the South-West region to draw up recommendations their state governors could easily implement in the next few months

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

The Development Agenda for Western Nigeria Commission (DAWN) has urged Commissioners of Agriculture in the South-West to make recommendations that the state governors in the region can easily implement “within the next few months.”

ConsumerConnect learnt Mr. Seye Oyeleye, Director-General of DAWN, who stated this Wednesday, June 18, while speaking during a meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, noted South-West Governors, have agreed to strengthen farm security by creating specialised units within the Amotekun Corps.

The move was part of the resolutions reached at the roundtable on food security hosted by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria Commission.

At the meeting Wednesday, in Ibadan, were Honourable Commissioners for Agriculture from the five states, Ebenezer Boluwade (Ekiti); Bolu Owotomo (Ogun); Olayato Aribo (Ondo); Babatola Faseru (Osun); and Olasunkanmi Olaleye (Oyo) respectively while Mr. Emmanuel Audu, Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture represented the Commissioner.

Earlier in his opening remarks, Oyeleye, Director-General of DAWN, had said: “It is important to dispel unfounded rumours that the region has lost its capacity to produce its food,” a statement noted.

He, therefore, urged the Commissioners for Agriculture to evolve recommendations which their state governors could easily implement within the next few months.

Oyeleye also disclosed that other resolutions reached at the meeting were geared towards boosting agriculture in the South-West region.

The Director-General stated: “These include massive land clearing, enhanced security, and large-scale production of short-term crops like maize, sweet potatoes, and vegetables.

“Other plans include revitalising moribund dams for irrigation, improving mechanisation across the value chain, adopting a cluster farming model, expanding input distribution, and establishing an electronic agriculture database.”

Other participants in the meeting include Dr. Theophilus Onadeko, Managing Director of the Southwest Agriculture Company (SWAgCo), a subsidiary of the Odu’a Investment Company Limited and Chief Kola Akosile from NACCIMA.