Smallholders Farmers Empowerment Ogun State

Smallholders Farmers Empowerment Ogun State: through the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP), the Ogun State government has finalized plans to involve 40,000 smallholder farmers, with an emphasis on women and youths, in order to assure the state’s long-term agricultural growth.

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Smallholders Farmers Empowerment Ogun State – The Initiative’s Background

OGSTEP is a five-year Public-Private Partnership program, which the World Bank is its major support. It aims to improve agricultural development, job creation, food security, and economic empowerment throughout the state’s 20 local government districts.

Dr. Dotun Sorunke, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, stated this in Abeokuta at a day stakeholders’ engagement session on the Agricultural Value Chain Development Process.

Dr. Sorunke explained that the agriculture sector of OGSTEP was launched by the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun. They had the goal of increasing private sector engagement in the state’s economy and enhancing smallholder farmers’ agricultural production and productivity.

Dr. Angel Adelaja-Kuye, the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Agriculture, indicated that the initiative will achieve gender balance. And this will take place by involving women and adolescents. And also important partners from multiple value chains for farmer participation.

Earlier in her speech, the Project Coordinator, Mrs. Mosun Owo-Odunsi, who was represented by Mr. Fatai Osunsanya, a Technical and Vocational Education and Training Specialist, emphasized the importance of boosting agriculture through a business-friendly environment that would attract more private investors in agribusiness with guaranteed off-takers to promote industrialization.

Smallholders Farmers Empowerment Ogun State: According to Olugbire;

Dr. (Mrs.) Oluseyi Olugbire, Acting Project Manager, OGSTEP (Agric), says – In her presentation that OGSTEP would operate on a farmer per hectare basis. And this is with the government providing funds and infrastructural amenities.

That would be of great value to agricultural activities in the chosen areas. Farmers that grow maize, rice, cassava, sesame, soybean, horticulture, aquaculture, and poultry would benefit from the scheme. according to Olugbire.

Responding on behalf of the farmers, Alhaja Lola Kushimo, Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Ogun State Chapter, praised the current administration’s efforts to improve farmers’ livelihoods.