Kogi rice will feed the nation – Govt

The Kogi State Government has restated its commitment to creating an enabling environment for the much needed agricultural revolution, assuring Nigerians that Kogi Rice will bridge the gap between demand and supply across the nation.

Addressing newsmen in Lokoja on Monday, the Director General on Media and Publicity to the Governor of Kogi State, Kingsley Fanwo said the State is emerging the number one agricultural state in the federation.

According to him, the State is “poised to strengthen her lead in cashew production as well as take over the leading role in cassava and rice production”.

He said, “Kogi State had declared a state of emergency in the agricultural sector long before the unstable revenue generation in the state. The visionary administration of Alh Yahaya Bello has placed agriculture on the front burners of its economic prosperity plan known as the New Direction Agenda.

“A massive revolution is going on across the state in the area of rice production. Kampe Omi Dam Project is breathing down on the leading rice producers in the country. Our rice mill is near completion and the nation will be shocked by the magnitude of work put in place to ensure rice sufficiency in Nigeria. We are also working on the Ibaji Rice Farm which has the potential of causing a revolution in the nation’s rice production.

“We attach great importance to the value chain and the multiplier effect agriculture can have on the economy of our dear state. In 2023, we want Kogi to become the food capital of Nigeria and this administration is working towards that”.

Fanwo said the State Government will continue to welcome genuine investors in the agricultural sector in order to create jobs for the teeming youth in the state.

“We appreciate the torrent of awards given to Governor Yahaya Bello for hacking insecurity to the ground with the support of the security agencies in the state. But he is also of the opinion that insecurity will never be defeated without food and jobs. Agriculture can give us the two.

“What we are building at Omi Dam is capable of sparking mass resignation from the civil service as our people are seeing a window of opportunity to prosperity through agriculture”.

He called on the labour leaders in the state to explore the “humble and considerate nature of the Governor to engage in dialogue as a peaceful means of crisis resolution”, saying the threat of strike is fast becoming “old fashioned and fascist”.

“I urge Labour, not only in Kogi State but across the nation to embrace dialogue as a peaceful means of crisis resolution rather than heightening temperatures with threats of strike. Every man hour loss is a blow to the economy. No party benefits from strike.

“We thank those civil servants who have continued to go to work and urge those not going to work to resume in the interest of their career, the people of Kogi State and future of our dear state. Those who have been using the clock-in-clock-out devices will surely be paid their salaries”.