Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State has said that the involvement of his state in the \u201cProduce for Lagos Programme\u201d will ensure food security, market stability, and inclusive growth.<\/p>\n
The governor stated this on Wednesday in Lagos during the inauguration of the \u201cProduce for Lagos Programme\u201d and the launch of the \u20a6100 billion Offtake Guarantee Fund.<\/p>\n
In his remarks, Ododo noted that Lagos and Kogi share a long-standing bond rooted in commerce, migration, mutual respect, and a shared vision.<\/p>\n
He said, \u201cA significant number of Kogi citizens have made Lagos their home, investing their skills, resources, and energy into the development of this great state.<\/p>\n
\u201cKogi has always been part of Lagos\u2019s greatness, and today, we\u2019re elevating that legacy by building a partnership that works\u2014not just for two states but for the entire nation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking further, he added, \u201cWe see this partnership as a mutual investment in people, productivity, and prosperity. Kogi produces food. Lagos consumes food. When we work together, what we achieve is food security, market stability, and inclusive growth.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to thank my brother and colleague, His Excellency Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, for his visionary leadership and for inviting Kogi to be part of the Produce for Lagos programme and the launch of the \u20a6100 billion Offtake Guarantee Fund.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cThis initiative is not only timely but transformational. It signals a bold and strategic step to align production with demand and strengthen food systems across regional boundaries.\u201d Ododo stated.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
On the commitment of his administration to agriculture, he said, \u201cIn Kogi State, our administration has made agriculture a top priority. We\u2019re not just cultivating crops; we\u2019re strengthening our agricultural value chain. We have prepared thousands of hectares of land across the state, provided improved seedlings and livestock breeds, deployed mechanised farming equipment, and extended grants to over 10,000 farmers to scale production.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re proud that Kogi leads Nigeria in cassava production, and we\u2019re among the top producers of yam, maize, and other cereals. We\u2019re making strategic investments to boost ginger farming, one of the most commercially viable crops globally today.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cTo support all of this, we\u2019ve revitalised our agricultural extension services, ensuring that technical advice, inputs, and monitoring reach the farmers where they are. We know that more than 80% of our agricultural produce comes from the rural areas. Therefore, we are also investing in rural life by remodelling healthcare facilities, building modern schools, electrifying underserved communities, and improving farm-to-market roads.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat this partnership with Lagos achieves is market assurance. Our farmers can now produce with confidence, knowing that there is a structured and reliable offtake system in place. It\u2019s not just about farming anymore; it\u2019s about structured prosperity for the entire agricultural ecosystem.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me also commend Origin Tech Group Nigeria Limited for their foresight and investment in this noble project. The private sector must play a central role in our national agricultural renaissance, and you\u2019re leading by example.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The governor also lauded President Bola Tinubu for the various initiatives established at the federal level to support food security.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the national level, we\u2019re greatly inspired by the vision of our President, our father and our leader, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. His administration\u2019s Greener Hope Agricultural Productivity Programme, with $1 billion already committed, has reaffirmed that agriculture is the new oil. Mr. President has shown uncommon courage and clarity of purpose in redirecting our national energy toward food production and value chain development.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cYour Excellency, Mr. President, Nigeria needed a bold and patriotic leader who would not just echo hope, but implement it. In you, we have that leader. You\u2019re building a Nigeria that eats what it produces and produces what it eats.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cKogi is proud to align fully with the Renewed Hope Agenda. Today\u2019s event is not just symbolic; it\u2019s substantive. It marks a new vista of collaboration that puts people first and strengthens the pillars of national unity through shared prosperity.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me once again assure the Government and people of Lagos State that this partnership won\u2019t end on paper. We\u2019re committed to making it work for the sake of the farmers who plant, the traders who move, and the families who eat. Together, let\u2019s prove that when states collaborate, Nigeria wins.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State has said that the involvement of his state in the \u201cProduce for Lagos Programme\u201d will ensure food security, market stability, and inclusive growth. The governor stated this...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7833,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7832","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7832","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7832"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7832\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7834,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7832\/revisions\/7834"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7833"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7832"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7832"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7832"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}