Food Sufficiency: Southern Governors’ Forum Plans to Promote Regional Trade, Says Governor Abiodun

James Sowole in Abeokuta

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, yesterday, said southern states had decided to promote inter-state and inter-region trade to foster food security and sufficiency.
Abiodun also disclosed that Ogun State had decided to establish farmers’ markets across the state to ensure food security.
The governor spoke when he received members of the newly constituted Governing Council of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), led by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Ayorinde Olabomi.

Abiodun, who is the chairman of Southern Governors’ Forum (SGF), said southern states had no reason not to promote trade among themselves, with all the fertile land and human capacity in the region.
He said, “As a matter of fact, my colleagues and I in the southern part of Nigeria have met and have said that we have no reason not to promote inter-state or inter-region trade.
“There is no reason why someone from the South-east or South-south is not buying yam or tomatoes from somebody in the South-west. There is no reason why someone from the South-west is not buying rice from Ebonyi.

“We should be able to attain food security and sufficiency within our region because we have the human capacity and the necessary arable land. There is nothing we do not have to ensure we achieve this objective.”
Abiodun said the farmers’ markets would be sited at strategic locations across the state, including Asero in Abeokuta and Ogere along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
He also said plans have been concluded to move the Kara Cattle Market from its present location to Ogere, where the cattle merchants can have access to a good atmosphere.

He stated, “Our Ministry of Agriculture is working on establishing a few things, one of which is the farmers’ markets at strategic locations across the state, and I think this is another initiative we can collaborate.
“One will be at Asero in Abeokuta. One will be somewhere around Lagos-Ibadan expressway, which is around the Ogere area, which we have also designated as our livestock and animal husbandry area.

“We are proposing to move the Kara Market to somewhere along there, where we have land, and we can provide them with additional land for expansion.
“We believe that with the number of small holder farmers we have in Ogun State, it will be an advantage to them if we have the farmers’ market located in strategic places.”

The governor stated that his administration saw agriculture as a way of ensuring food security, creating employment, and generating revenue. He added that the Federal University of Agriculture should be at the forefront of the food security effort, saying that is the purpose for its establishment.
He also promised to collaborate with the institution in some ways, including cassava production, and said the Iyana-Camp to Alabata road was already being considered by his administration.

Earlier, Oba Olabomi described Abiodun as one of the best governors in the country, and called for collaboration with the state government.
The royal father said FUNAAB was poised to contribute its quota to ensure food security in the country. He urged the state government to take advantage of the several training programmes, research and development that the institution had to offer.
The pro-chancellor appealed to Abiodun to assist the institution by reconstructing the Iyana-Camp to Alabata road, which had been destroyed by the activities of trucks.