Oyo State Government will on Thursday and Friday hold an agriculture investment summit with the theme: “Transforming Oyo State’s Agriculture and Agro –Allied Industry: Private Sector Participation.”
The venue of the maiden agriculture summit, which has over 10 keynote speakers/panelists, 35 exhibitors, 300 delegates and over 2000 visitors, is the Conference Centre, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Oyo Road, Ibadan.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development, Prince Oyewole Oyewumi, said the state’s agriculture summit became imperative in order to bridge the gap among farmers, agricultural producers, agro-allied industries, research institutes, government, agricultural banks and private companies.
He explained that Oyo State Agriculture Investment Summit (OYSAIS) was a collaboration between the Oyo State Government and International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
Prince Oyewumi stated that Oyo State Agriculture Investment Summit (OYSAIS) was aimed to triggering the industrial age of Oyo State Agric-businesses and agro-allied sector.
He explained that the summit would complement the efforts of the state government in its AgricOyo programme, the agricultural land policy and other agriculture programmes to position the state as the food basket of the country.
The commissioner said that OYSAI was designed to attract Private Sector Finance and Investment Companies, Infrastructure Expert Fund Managers, International Development Banks, potential agriculture investors, Agro-Allied industry and all stakeholders in the agriculture business in the state in order to usher in fresh approach to agriculture in Oyo State.
He said that the summit, which is supported by Private Equity Firms, Commercial Banks, Leading Agricbusiness Companies, Investment and Finance Companies, International Aid Organisations, Insurers and Government Agencies, would also seek to address key agricultural productivity like finance, market access, research, infrastructure, mechanisation, ICT, youth, gender and policies.
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Prince Oyewumi disclosed that the keynote speakers include Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State; Chairman of BAT Foundation, Chief Kola Jamodu; the MD/CEO of Sterling Bank, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman; Director, AFDB, Mr. Ebrima Faai; the MD, Bank of Industry, Mr. Kayode Pitan; Group Vice President of Dangote Industries Limited, Mr. Sani Dangote; the MD, Flour Mills of Nigeria, Mr. Paul Gbadebo and Deputy Director IITA, Dr. Kenton Dashiell.
The commissioner said that the summit would be free for exhibitors of agricultural produce, adding that Folashade Joseph of NAIC, Ayodeji Balogun of AFEX, Venkataramani S. of Olam Nigeria, Mr. Bolaji Akinboro of Cellulant also would serve as keynote speakers.
