The Kogi State government has restated its commitment to establish farm settlements in the 21 local government areas of the state. Deputy Governor of the state, Yomi Awoniyi said this in Lokoja when the African Development Bank (AfDB)’s Country Director, Dr. Dave Osmane paid him a courtesy visit.
Yomi said the government would continue to pay her counterpart funds to the agencies that have direct bearing on the well being of the citizenry.
He said with the natural and human resources that abound in the state, the establishment of farm parks was necessary in order to create jobs for the unemployed youths, adding that when operational, it would reduce youth restiveness. He said that the settlements would not only provide jobs for the youth but would also attract localisation of allied industries that would add value chain to farm produce.
He said the local government councils would be encouraged to develop crops that have comparative advantage, saying that crops like cassava, cocoa, rice and sorghum would be given priority attention.
Earlier, the AfDB boss commended the government for meeting her counterpart funds in all the bank’s assisted projects.
Dr. Osmane said that the bank would ensure the growth of commercial and mechanized farming with the establishment of agro allied industries, saying that Nigeria is the highest shareholder of the bank which could not be ignored.
