Ondo Govt Vows to Sustain Investment in Cocoa, Cashew to Boost Revenue

Fidelis David in Akure

Ondo State Government has assured of its commitment to continue to invest in cocoa and cashew in order to ensure that Nigeria continues to be a leading player in the global cocoa industry.

Mr. Akin Olotu, who is the Senior Special Assistant on Agriculture and Agribusiness to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, disclosed this while fielding questions from journalists at a media parley organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ondo State Council, in Akure.

He explained that cocoa was responsible for 1.04 per cent of exports and contributes 3.33 per cent to employment in Nigeria.

Olotu, who said the state governor, being aware of the potential in cocoa and cashew, has in turn invested massively in the crops in order to boost its export potential and turn the economy of the state and Nigeria around.

Specifically, while reiterating the state government’s commitment to collaborate and support all efforts to develop and move the cocoa and cashew industries forward in the state, he noted that if government at all levels put more efforts to develop cocoa, cashew and the value chain locally, there would be tremendous impact on the economy.

His words: “We have a lot of benefit from cocoa, cashew, cheer butter among others because they are exportable. So we need forest and this is the critical area government need to look into. So if we develop cocoa, cashew and the value chain locally, there will be tremendous impact on the economy.

“And it will create a lot of jobs for the people, crime rate will go down, and we will have a lot of foreign exchange in a sustainable way. There should be an equal attention to tree crops because we need forest.

“There must be an immediate and conscious efforts to promote all these crops in the country. It is a matter of necessity, it is not something that should be delayed, it can be treated the way the issue of fuel subsidy was treated.”

Speaking on insecurity and power devolution, Olotu said, “So the solution to our problem in this country is power devolution, let us reduce the load at the federal level so that people can strive. For us to do it successful, we need adequate security.

“All governors have agreed that we should have a state police. The people at the National Assembly should be sincere with all of us on this. So if we are to move forward in this country, there must be a power devolution.

“If farmers are secured today, I can tell you that we will be self-sufficient in foods in Ondo state. The security architecture of this country is not working at all and the problem is from the National Assembly. We need a system that is working, and until we go back to that, there won’t be a way forward.”