Aiyedatiwa Seeks FG’s Collaboration To Boost Agriculture
The Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has said that his administration was ready to partner with the National Agricultural Land Development Authority to boost mechanised farming and strengthen food security initiatives across the state.
Aiyedatiwa emphasised that land clearing remained a major challenge, preventing many farmers, particularly young people, from engaging in or expanding mechanised agriculture.
He made this known on Monday during a courtesy visit by the NALDA led by its Ondo State Coordinator, Chief Olusola Ayandokun, to his office in Akure, the state capital on Monday.
According to him, land clearing was a critical challenge aligned directly with one of NALDA’s primary functions.
“We know that one of the major expenditures that hinder a lot of farmers from going into mechanised farming or expanding their operations is land clearing. I’ve heard that land clearing is one of the key activities of NALDA, and this is encouraging,” the governor stated.
The governor noted that once the bottleneck of land clearing was addressed, young people would be more willing to embrace farming.
He also commended the integrated farm estate model initiated by NALDA in other states, noting that Ondo already had similar infrastructure in place, especially in farm settlements that can be revived and upgraded through partnership.
Earlier, in his remarks, the Ondo State Coordinator of NALDA, Chief Olusola Ayandokun, assured the governor of the agency’s commitment to supporting the state’s agricultural agenda.
He explained that NALDA, a federal government initiative, was focused on reclaiming and opening up farmland, promoting food security, empowering youth and women, and supporting the agricultural value chain.
“The NALDA’s goals include land clearing, preparation, and allocation to farmers, as well as establishing integrated farm estates, providing agricultural inputs, promoting animal husbandry, and training,” he said.