… Dufil Prima Plc, Elephant Group, Asanita, Lead Private Sector Investment
By Time Nigeria
No fewer than 50,000 persons, including farmers, logistics operators and food processors, farm managers, among others, have benefited from agricultural programmes implemented by the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, in the past three and a half years.
In a statement, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said the beneficiaries were involved in the cultivation of over 10,000 hectares of farmland across the state supporting farmers spread across different locations in the state, including Agenebode, Warrake, Usugbenu, Iguoriakhi, Illushi, Iguomo, Oria, Udo, Ekpoma, Ozalla, Ome-Ora, Agbede, Evbonogbon and Sobe in the state.
He said while some of the programmes are implemented in conjunction with the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending Plc (NIRSAL), and the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme (CACS), others are driven by private sector investors such as Elephant Group, Agrotek, Pemo Farms Limited, Dufil Prima and Asanita.
According to him, “Our agricultural programmes hinge on the huge potential of agriculture for wealth and job creation that could guarantee Edo people better life. Governor Obaseki has implemented well thought-out, strategic and far-reaching reforms that attract and retain investments in oil palm, cassava, maize, yam, rubber, cocoa, rice, vegetables, aquaculture and livestock production.”
He noted that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is investing a whopping N69 billion in the Edo State Oil Palm Programme (ESOPP), adding that the Edo State Agripreneur programme, which commenced in 2017, is part of the Governor Obaseki-led administration’s strategies to boost Micro, Small-scale and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and sustain current youth-focused agricultural initiatives in the state.
According to him, “Under the scheme, over 10,000 hectares of rice, maize, cassava, soybean, and other crops are being cultivated in Agenebode, Warrake, Usugbenu, Iguoriakhi and Sobe. There were over 55,000 young beneficiaries while nearly 20,000 jobs were created under the initiative. In addition, the Edo Food and Agriculture Cluster (Edo-FAC) in Ehor, Uhunmwode LGA has benefited over 1,300 farmers. There is also a farm mechanisation programme for commercial agriculture in the state.”
Obaseki’s reforms: New TVET teachers, EdoBEST, others unleashing Edo’s education potential
The Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration in Edo State is changing the face of education in the state with the reforms implemented through the Edo State Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST), efforts to strengthen the state’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), including the recruitment of new teachers and tertiary education overhaul.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, in a statement, said the state government has pursued a wholistic strategy to revamping the education sector in the last three years and seven months that has seen to the development of the critical sectors of the education sector.
According to him, “We have ensured that there is harmony between government and teachers through a well-intentioned programme to build their capacities to respond to the challenges of the 21st century.
“Edo State has become the cynosure of all eyes when it comes to digitalising public education. We achieved this through the Edo-BEST programme implemented by the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB). Through the programme, not less than 11,000 teachers have been trained; over 1,200,000 books distributed; over 11000 computer tablets distributed, all of which are benefiting over 250,000 pupils across schools in the state.”
He added that the state has recruited and inducted 104 newly recruited teachers to drive ongoing reforms in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sub-sector in the state.
He noted that the new teachers are to support the vision of the Governor’s vision to reposition science and vocational training in the state.
While some of the teachers have been deployed to the newly revamped Government Science and Technical College (GSTC), formerly Benin Technical College (BTC), others would teach science and technical education at former St. Kizito Secondary, Egwuaholor, which has been converted to a technical school.