RCCG holds Agric seminar on sustainable economic growth

As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Lagos Province 4 and 48, held a one-day Agricultural Training seminar, to provide information on investment and the need for Nigerians to go back to agriculture.

The seminar, held at Apapa, Lagos, with the theme: “Agriculture: The Next And Viable Alternative To Sustainable Economic Growth,” was supported by Excel Multi-purpose Cooperative Society Limited and Lagos State government, where areas of investment in agricultural activities, were extensively discussed by experts.

Assistant Pastor, in charge of province, Lagos province 48, Bamidele Olurin, who spoke with Journalists, said the essence of the seminar, is to ensure that with the present economic meltdown, Nigerians return to agriculture because it has been neglected for long, noting that the sector cannot be left in the hands of government alone.

He noted that the choice of agric as the main focus was borne out of the fact that the sector is so wide and can accommodate everybody, adding that it has been the mainstay of the country’s economy, before the advent of the oil boom era.

Olurin said: “The government is talking about the need for everyone to go back to agric, but there is more to it than mere talk. They are not giving information. If you are talking about going back to agric, in what area? They have the best information, the best data and statistics. They can provide land by virtue of the Land Use Act, they have the resources.

“Ministry of Agric should not be a mere window dressing office, agric should be practical, it is not an office thing, any agric that is just paper work is not agric. What about the issue of finance, we have donors and others who are ready to provide funds, but they don’t know the farmers,” he said.

He urged banks and other financial institutions to support agriculture because they are not doing enough to assist farmers, saying they don’t understand the processes of the agricultural sector.