Kogi Releases N633m for Food Sufficiency Plans

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Kogi State Government has unveiled its food sufficiency plan under the Agro Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) in a bid to make the state top producer of rice, cashew and cassava.

The state government revealed that it had released a sum of N633 million to fund the value chain investment plan (VCIP) produced by the farmers throughout the state.

This was revealed by the state’s deputy governor and Chairman, Steering Committee of APPEALS, Mr Edward Onoja during a visit to the state’s Agricultural Development Project (ADP) plant in Felele, Lokoja and Ogbogbo, Igalamela LGA to kick start the distributions to farmers.

According to him, some of the items distributed included rice seedlings, pressure sprayers, fertilizers, herbicides and personal protective equipment (PPEs) at Ajaokuta LGA and Ogbogbo, Igalamela Odolu LGA.

Mr Onoja noted that the state government was working to safeguard the lives of citizens and was determined to restore the state’s economy to an enviable height.

He said the APPEALS project was a key initiative of Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration, noting that the policies align with his Agricultural Revolution Agenda already made clear since its inauguration in early 2016.

He said the project with focus on rice, cassava and cashew farming was aimed at promoting food sufficiency, while also putting Nigeria on the map as a net exporter.

He claimed that with a population of over 70 percent farmers, the state was committed to catering for the food needs of the country noting that the state planned to promote agriculture as a veritable means of business for every citizen.

The federal government has not hidden his intention to turn to agriculture for the revamping of the economy and use it as another source of foreign earnings apart from crude oil.

This dream has been keyed into by the sub-nationals and this was manifest in the collaboration between the Lagos State and Kebbi State governments, which produced the Lake Rice.