EKITI SEEKS POLICY IMPLEMENTATION ON AGRO-ALLIED INDUSTRIALISATION

BY PROVIDENCE OBUH
Ekiti State Government has expressed her eagerness on getting a policy in place that would bring about agro-allied industrialization in the state, given that its economy is largely agrarian subsistence.

'What we have attempted to do is that we want to create an environment in which we can implement agricultural policy that will lead to industrialization, particularly agro allied type of industrialization and also stimulate the people's demand by expanding the productive base of our economy, said Dr Kayode Fayemi, Governor of the State.

Speaking at the Academy for Entrepreneurial Studies (AES) Excellence Club's monthly business, Fayemi who spoke on the topic, 'Investment Opportunities and Challenges' said, 'We are largely agrarian subsistence economy. Roughly 70 per cent of our population is in the farm but it is not in the farm that we really want them to be. One major opportunity we have as a state is turning that tradition into a modern commercial agriculture and a lot of our attention is being devoted to that industrial entrepreneurial category.'

To this end, he revealed that his government is out to make poverty history in the state and also an investment destination for those who are ready to do legitimate business.

Asked why focusing on agriculture, he said, 'We are focusing on agriculture because we are an agrarian state, 70 per cent of our populations are on the farm but we want to upscale their involvement on the farm from subsistence to commercial agriculture and develop the entire value chain of agriculture.

He added, 'That is why we are there, and it gives room for employment generation, it enhances food security, it also enhances safety in our environment and it will be a huge internally generator of revenue.'