The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Abiodun Ige Gani Adams has pledged his support by influencing international investors to invest in the agricultural sector of Ekiti State. He made this declaration at the recently concluded 3-day 2020 World Congress of the Odua Progressive Union which was held in the state on January 27th thru 29th, 2020. About 289 Nigerian Diaspora members of the union from 87 countries converged in the state for this year’s annual congress. He stressed the importance of Agriculture in the economic development of Nigeria in general and Ekiti State in particular. Aare Gani Adams is the founder and patron of the organization.

While delivering business proposals to Femi Odere, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Governor Fayemi on Diaspora Affairs at a dinner party a day after the congress at Fountain Hotel, Ado-Ekiti, Aare Gani Adams said “Agriculture is capable of providing employment opportunities for youths in the State as Ekiti is known for having the most fertile land in the southwest region.”

Aare Gani Adams maintained that the business proposals for the State came as a result of several meetings with members of the organization and international investors prior to bringing the annual event to Ekiti State. The Yoruba leader further emphasized that aside from agriculture, there are other areas in the state’s economy that his international influence can be brought to bear in the economic transformation of the State from where it is now to where it should be.

In his remarks, Femi Odere, the SSA on Diaspora Affairs said that the Fayemi administration is very big and serious in transforming the state’s agricultural sector by not only providing jobs for the state’s teeming youthful population but also to provide foods for its people at cheap and affordable prices as well as elevating agricultural practices from the subsistence to the mechanized level. Odere stressed that Fayemi has demonstrated his seriousness in transforming this sector that the World Bank has entered into an agreement with the state government to construct 1,000 kilometers of rural roads. He said also that there’s already a commitment from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to provide water in all the state’s farm settlements and rural communities for the expansion of the agricultural sector in the state.

Towards this end, about “1, 500 hectares of land are being earmarked for clearing primarily for agricultural purposes.” “As we speak, it may interest you to know that Promasidor, an international conglomerate in Lagos has taken over the Ikun-Ekiti long-abandoned farmstead that was established purposely for cattle ranching in the state. Dangote is already in partnership with the Stallion Group to establish rice farm and mill respectively in the state.” “One of our goals as a government is to make Ekiti the “go-to” state when it comes to investing and doing business,” Odere said.

The governor’s aide said that the convergence of these Nigerians in the Diaspora in Ekiti State is a big opportunity to sell the state to them as he sees them as a huge and indispensable resource that the state needs. “If Aare Gani Adams could influence 289 diasporic Nigerians to come to Ekiti State with the challenges of insecurity that has scared, and continues to scare so many of our people from coming home, it would be foolish of me not to hang on his coattail in order to draw international investors to the state, he declared. “The people of Ekiti are no longer interested in writing petitions. So, don’t be scared of coming here” he joked. “We just want to strike business deals and grow our economy. We are ready for business.” The monarchs of Ijero-Ekiti, Ijurin-Ekiti, Ido-Ile Ekiti, Aiyegunle-Ekiti, Iloro-Ekiti, and Arigidi-Akoko were among the special dignitaries that graced the OPU World Congress dinner in Ekiti-State.

Picture: Aare Gani Adams (centre) presenting the proposals to Femi Odere, Senior Special Assistant (Diaspora Affairs) to Ekiti State governor (right) with Prince Olawale, Chairman of the 2020 OPU 6th World Congress.

By John Adeagbo