TheCable

The second edition of the south-west local government agricultural and mineral resources trade fair will hold in Ibadan, the Oyo capital, between September 2 and September 11, 2022.

Delight Owoyemi, co-founder of BTG Africa, organiser of the event, disclosed this on Thursday during the unveiling of the programme schedule in Ibadan.

While highlighting the success recorded with the first edition held in Osun in 2021, Owoyemi said the fair will create wealth and employment opportunities for states in the region.

The unveiling was witnessed by local government chairpersons, as well as representatives from governments of states in the south-west region.

Speaking at the event, Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, said as part of the efforts to reposition agriculture in the state, the government has sent officials to Netherlands to hold discussions with the Dutch government on developing Oyo’s agricultural potential.

Makinde, who was represented by Idowu Ogedengbe, his executive assistant, said the state government considers the fair as a pathway to economic development, adding that the state has several mineral resources waiting to be tapped.

“Our target is to focus on critical sectors that will boost the gross domestic product of the state. We have massive arable land, so we are repositioning our agricultural development plan to attract critical stakeholders in the sector,” he said.

“The trade fair is considered important because it will serve as a link to some economic development plans. Our officials are presently in Netherlands for a meeting with their government on how they can help us develop our vast agricultural potentials.”

He added that the state has trained more than 10,000 youths in various aspects of agriculture.

At the event, Yemi Farounbi, Nigeria’s former ambassador to the Philippines, urged governments at all levels to boost the agriculture sector.

“In 1970, Nigeria and Malaysia were at the same level of development but while Malaysia developed its agriculture to build its economy, Nigeria relies solely on crude oil export and remains a consuming nation. Today, Malaysia economy has grown while we are going backward,” he said.

“Nigeria has no working refinery so it exports its crude oil and imports crude products. However, Venezuela, another oil producing nation, has 27 refineries and exports only processed oil for higher profit margin.”