Ogun gives youth conditions to access agric loans

Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun

The Ogun State Government has put together some loan packages to enhance agricultural production, create wealth and generate employment among the youths.

However, such loans can only be accessed if the interested youths come together to form co-operative societies.

The State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, stated this in Ilaro at a one day seminar tagged, “Youth and Agricultural Development in Ogun State ” organised by the Yewa-Awori chapter of the National Youth Congress.

The governor, who spoke through his Special Adviser on General Duties, Mr. Bayo Adeyemi, said that it was easier to disburse loans through co-operative societies than through the individuals, adding that monitoring to ensure that such loans were judiciously used and refunded would be easy.

He said, “Government has put in place different loan packages that are meant to develop agriculture across the state. To benefit from these packages, however, I advise you to organise yourselves into co-operatives for easy access to the loan and effective monitoring of its use and refunds.”

The governor also said his administration remained committed to the mission to rebuild the economy of the state and solve problems of unemployment.

He stressed that this could be done effectively through the involvement of youths in agricultural production.

Describing youths as the future and glory of any nation, Governor Amosun advised them to shun all social vices and take advantage of different windows created by government to become self-employed and employers of labour.

The Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Ayodele Koleade, expressed delight at the collaborative efforts made by the association, describing the seminar as an effective tool for preparing for tomorrow.

He said, “While our state government is striving hard to ensure food security and agro-based industrialisation in the state, your organisation is corroborating her efforts by organising capacity building programmes for the development of leaders of tomorrow.  By your singular and collective efforts, I make bold to say you are already effectively preparing for tomorrow.”

The Permanent Secretary, who, was represented by the Director of Produce Services in the ministry, Mr. Femi Kusimo, also said that training would put them at a vantage position to make meaningful contributions to the development of agriculture in the state.

He added that for a nation to be seen to have developed agriculturally, there must be enough food for consumption, marketable surplus, production of export crops with improvement in quality of grades of such crops and availability of raw materials for agro-allied industries.

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Ogun gives youth conditions to access agric loans