By: Clarion Olusegun
The Executive Adviser to the Governor of Oyo State on Agribusiness, Dr. Debo Akande,gary stated that at the core of every agricultural development is inclusive partnerships and collaborations with concerned stakeholders.
Dr. Akande, representing the State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, made this disclosure today at the International Livestock Research Institute, ILRI Golden Jubilee Anniversary, which coincides with the celebration of the National Pasture Planting Day in Nigeria.
According to him, who doubles as the Director-General of the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency, there is an urgent call to firm up public and private synergy in agriculture. He said such was the model of the government in Oyo State that had been adopted.
His words: “There is no development in agriculture without partnership, and we have developed a model which brings the private and public sectors together. The model is working well as we understand the role for both the private and public sectors in agriculture.”
He added that the state also embraces development partners including the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, IITA, and ILRI, among others.
We also appreciate that the two are not enough; we have seen the need to go into partnership with development partners such as IITA and ILRI, and the establishment of Fasola Agribusiness Industrial Hub. It’s just two years since ILRI signed an MoU with Oyo State; we have seen growth in Oyo history, contributing substantial resource to the rise of livestock.”.
He said the Oyo State had taken comparative advantage in agriculture and is seeing development through his excellent leadership as governor of the state. He further explained that the government is not an island, and all deliberate actions by it direct the necessary stakeholders towards it.
He expressed his optimism that the partnership will keep getting strengthened and developed, as he expects that it would result in more than 1,000 livestock being reared after the project.
As part of the activities to mark the Golden Jubilee of ILRI, summarised above, the institute inaugurated Ibadan’s Forage Genetic Resources Plot. More than 80 cultivars and accessions of tropically adapted and improved forages for livestock in Nigeria and West Africa are expected to be hosted by this plot.
The representative of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mrs. Akeredolu Olayinka Abimbola, also speaking at the event, said, “Not just to address the renewed hope agenda but to institute that tranquility has become very necessary in ending the clashes between herders and farmers across Nigeria.” She expressed dissatisfaction with the Federal Government and the ministry concerning insecurity as it affects farmers and herders.
She said the ministry was determined for a collaboration with ILRI, “to increase the quantity and quality of the livestock industry by at least 60 percent yields to grow the sector, treat all animals, the handlers, and the citizens.”.
She commended the Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, adding that the ministry has gone ahead to develop grazing reserves, train farmers on artificial insemination for the improvement of the level of indigenous breeding, and adopt the global plan of action for animal genetic resources, among others.
Meanwhile, what to do to promote the sector, some participants felt, was provision of technical support, support from institutional and private sector, making pasture production lucrative, increasing training opportunities to livestock farmers and herders, improvement in extension services, and increment in research to urge expected success and growth.