- Safiu Kehinde
The Kogi State Government has said it has invested about N9bn on agribusiness between January to October of this year.
The state’s Commissioner of Information, Hon. Femi Fanwo, disclosed this on Tuesday at the 2024 NPO Reports Annual Dialogue.
Representing the state governor, Usman Ododo, at the event held in Banquet Hall, Merit House, Maitama-Abuja, Fanwo stated that the investment was spread across the 21 local government areas in the state in an effort to boost agriculture.
He further disclosed the state government’s plan to improvise the agricultural value-chain which he considered as very key to job creation and industrialization.
“We have to invest very heavily in agriculture. Between January and October this year, Kogi state have invested N9 billion Naira to boost agriculture across the 21 local government area of the state.
“This is also very deliberate. We are also looking at the direction of value-chain improvement. We are the biggest producer of cassava and cashew.
“We cannot just ship out cashew and then buy the product from abroad.
“We are looking at the value chain which is very key.
“With the value-chain, we will be able to create more jobs. We will be able to attract a lot of industrialization into the state and lots of investments.” Fanwo said.
Reflecting on the theme of the event “Revenue Generation and Infrastructural Progress: Options in a Challenged Economy”, the Commissioner explained how investing in infrastructural development can aid improvement in taxation.
“And like I said, good infrastructure will be birth more infrastructure. What to do when you improve infrastructure is to create an environment where more people will be able to pay their taxes.
“This is very crucial and this is one of the things that agricultural value-chain can bestow on our nation.” Fanwo added.