10 Jun Gov. Seyi Makinde Flagged Off The Youths In Agribusiness Project At The Rural Community Development Centre (RCDC), Aawe.

This afternoon, Gov. Seyi Makinde flagged off the Youths in Agribusiness Project at the Rural Community Development Centre (RCDC), Aawe.

The Governor in his address made it known that agriculture is an area where the State has comparative advantage and is being leveraged upon to expand the economy.

He noted that the Government paid the sum of N350 million Naira as counterpart fund for the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), which will allow it fix over 1,000 kilometres of rural roads.

The Governor who spoke at the 210 hectares facility with about 133 cultivatable hectares, decried how the facility had become moribund for years.

He added that the Government is set to ensure the expansion of the State economy, stem rural-urban migration and finally give jobs to the youths.

While thanking the management of IITA for supporting the Government with agribusiness initiatives, he stated that the Government is set to open up a lot of farmlands, adding that the upgrade of Eruwa and Akufo Farm Settlements to Farm Estates is due to begin in July 2020 and that the upgrade of other farm settlements will follow after the two models. He added that the Government will also launch the N1 billion MSME fund in a few days while promising to ensure that a percentage of the fund is set aside for players in the Agribusiness sector, so that youths under the initiative will have channels to approach for funding.