The Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun has promised to boost the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) profile by taking full advantage of the agricultural value-chain while fielding questions from State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in the Presidential Villa, Abuja yesterday.
Amosun who emphasized that there is no state that has the kind of resources that Ogun State has in terms of number, even in terms of value now, reiterated that aside just farming the State want to take it forward by taking full advantage of the value-chain that agriculture offers.
The Governor stressed that whatever the State grows must be processed and whatever is processed must be packaged; whatever is packaged, must be marketed to the end-users.
Speaking on the 3rd Ogun State Investors’ Forum, Amosun stated that the forum, which was an annual event, was meant to diversify the state’s economy in three areas of agriculture, environment and transportation, adding that several local and foreign investors have indicated their interest to invest in the state, adding that the need to zero in three key areas is not far-fetched.
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He said that the only way is to go about diversification is to go into agriculture, environment and transportation where people can be employed and create wealth for themselves, adding that those nations that had got it right have cottage industries, small and medium industries which enables them to process their farm produce.
Answering questions about foreign investors, Amosun said “And I’m happy to report that, just like what has been happening to us, we got several, several investors, particularly those ones that are not even from Nigeria and so many of people that are in Nigeria that operate here and that is why we showcased everybody not just the international ones, not just the foreign ones, the local ones”.
He further stressed the need to revitalise the nation’s rail and water ways transport system to ensure effective transportation of agricultural products and enjoined government at all level to always be conscious of the environment by reducing the carbon dioxide as well as using waste to generate wealth