… As Ekiti Flags Off Major Maize Project
By Editor
All is now set for the official opening of the Odu’a Agro-Industrial Hub in Oke Ako, Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State. The event, which takes place tomorrow, today, June 17th, will also witness the flag-off of the SWAgCo-BATNF Sustainable Development of Maize Micro-Enterprise Farmers Project.
These twin projects are expected to unlock significant socio-economic benefits for the people of the area and the state at large, ranging from job creation and food security to modern agricultural practice and farmer training.
Speaking ahead of the event, the Ekiti State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Ebenezer Boluwade, described the development as “another bold step in Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s agricultural revolution agenda.”
He added, “What used to be a forest haven for criminals has now become a magnet for serious investors.”
According to the Commissioner, the state government is being “deliberate and intentional in transforming the agricultural landscape of Ekiti, not just in policy, but in action.”
Governor Biodun Oyebanji has continued to receive commendations for providing the kind of enabling environment that encourages long-term investments in agriculture and agro-industrialization. This collaboration with Odu’a Investment Company, SWAgCo, and the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) is a clear example of the private sector responding to that conducive atmosphere.
As the Odu’a Agro-Industrial Hub and the maize micro-enterprise project are bound to create employment and empower farmers, they will also serve as a model for other states on how to build sustainable partnerships for development.
Residents of Oke Ako and surrounding communities are expected to troop out in numbers as the forest-turned-farmland hosts its first major official ceremony. a resounding proof to the changing face of Ekiti’s rural economy.
