Makinde promises to improve state’s agricultural outputs

Promises to fix 200km rural roads in 2021 through RAAMP
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, yesterday, said that the administration was committed to improving agricultural outputs of the state to take many unemployed youths out of the streets.

He said that the state would soon fix no fewer than 200 kilometres of rural roads this year through the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).

Makinde stated these while receiving the delegates of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), who paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

He said: “We are excited about this programme because the four pillars, which this administration is standing upon, are education, health, expansion of the economy and security. And in expanding the economy, we are looking towards where we have a comparative advantage and that is agriculture.

“We are keen to take space in terms of agricultural outputs. So, this could not have come at a better time than now because we want to take many of our unemployed youths off the streets. We know agriculture and agribusiness is the way to go.”

Makinde, who lauded the RAAMP for the commitment to fixing over 200 kilometres of rural roads in the state, added that the special Agro-Processing Zones (SAPZ) project would also have the support of the state government at the topmost level.

Earlier, the team lead of the AfDB, Dr. Chucks Ezedinma, said the Bank was currently in the country to undertake the appraisal of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs).

He said the programme was designed for six states and that Oyo State is one of the beneficiary states.

He said: “I bring you greetings from our President, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina. The bank is currently in the country to undertake the appraisal of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones, which is the lead African strategic programme of the bank.

“Currently, the project is designed as a programme that will be done in six states and Oyo State happened to be one of the six states that we are going to start with.”