Kogi State Government says it is setting up Cassava Processing Centres in sixteen of its Twenty one Local Government to help create job, promote entrepreneurial skills and to accelerate industrialisation of the State.
Capt. Idris Wada, the Kogi State Governor, stated this when he received a World Bank delegation who were in the State to assess the Agric intervention efforts of the State Government.
The Governor disclosed that 2,500 youths have already been recruited in five Local Government Areas of the State for Cassava Processing.
Represented by his Deputy Yomi Awoniyi, the State he noted has already keyed fully into the AGRICULTURAL transformation agenda of the Federal Government, with the aim of engaging its teaming youths for commercial enterprise, wealth creation and meeting the needs of the rural people.
The Governor described its investment on Agriculture as deliberate as it is the fulcrum of the industrialisation agenda of the State adding that when successful, it will provide raw materials, employment and ensure food security.
With 500 hectares of land already cleared by the State Government and 250 hectares each by every Local Government in the state for Agricultural purposes, the State will have 5,750 hectares of Rice and Cassava farms to meet its Cassava value chain programme and dry season rice farming.
The Governor described the absence of land clearing equipment, tractorization and capacity building needs of farmers in the State as major challenges, solicited the World Bank’s support for earth moving equipment, irrigation to support 10,000 hectares of dry season farming and rehabilitation of access road in cluster farms.
In his speech, John Lekworth, leader of the World Bank delegation, said they are in the State to develop a policy framework that will enable the State key into the Agricultural transformation agenda of the Federal Government, commended the serious attention the State Government attaches to Agriculture, describing it as laudable.
Earlier in his presentation, Prof. Olugbemiro Jegede, Secretary to the State Government, described the State as the largest producer of Cassava in the country, said the present administration is doing everything humanly possible to provide seeds, micro-credit, harvesters and post harvesters to farmers to enable them meet the State Government’s objectives.
