By correspondent in Abuja.
Otunba Olayinka Braimoh.
The candidate of Action Alliance,AA, in the November 11governorship election in Kogi state, Otunba Olayinka Braimoh, has promised to create wealth for the people through agriculture.
Speaking with our correspondent in Abuja, Braimoh said towards this end,he planed to train 100,000 farmers, over three years, on regenerative agriculture.
The governorship candidate, who noted that Kogi has no business bedeviled with poverty, also promised to create 600,000 jobs through agriculture alone.
He said: “We need to change the paradigm of how we farm. We cannot have an effective agricultural policy without an effective land administration policy. So, we intend to put in place an effective land administration policy to help our farmers get access to land.
“I am running for Governor to spearhead this paradigm shift. I am fully committed to championing this cause. I will work together with all the people of Kogi State to create a future for our state that is devoid of hunger and poverty — but full of food and financial opportunities.
“With vast arable land spanning over 29,833 square kilometres and strategic bordering connections to 10 out of our nation’s 36 states, Kogi State possesses immense potential to attract investors and become a key contributor to our nation’s agricultural sector.
“As the Governor of Kogi State, I will prioritise the implementation of regenerative agricultural practices. This is because I strongly believe that this paradigm shift can make Kogi State the spoon that feeds the entire nation.
“We intend to train 100,000 farmers over three years on regenerative agriculture. On one hectare of land, we will be able to produce about 37 tonnes of food annually. One hectare of land will take a household out of poverty. All we need is visionary leadership, bridging the gap to help our farmers to be more productive and managing our lands effectively.
“With regenerative agriculture, we will be able to ensure that our food sufficiency is taken care of. When we focus on food sufficiency in Kogi state, at average of N500 per person in terms of consumption per day, it means the value of food transaction in our state will be N2.2billion daily and about N66 billion every month.
“When we have 100,000 people producing 37 tonnes of food annually, we target 20% market share of the state we are bounded by, we can do N7.5billion worth of food transaction per day in our state. The farmers will make money, the traders, storage providers, logistics, and those in processing will make money as well.”
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
