Wife of Osun state Governor Mrs Kafayat Oyetola has about 500 women farmers in the state with various agricultural commodities the her NGO, Ileri Oluwa Development Initiatives.
The NGO which is owned and funded by the Wife of the Governor was founded to provide welfare, economic and empowerment services to the people and to complement government’s social investment programme aimed at banishing poverty, hunger and misery in the State.
While presenting the items Mrs Oyetola, said the initiative was designed to serve as a catalyst to revive the lost glory of the agriculture sector.
She said the organisation has been executing masses-oriented programmes designed to lift people, particularly the women from the scourge of abject poverty.
Mrs. Kafayat who described agriculture as the central nerve of existence through which livelihood is guaranteed, said the Organisation would not rest on its oars to ensure that the State actualises its lofty dreams on the agriculture sector.
She therefore urged the beneficiaries to take optimum advantage of the initiative for their individual and collective benefits.
Governor Oyetola who commended his wife, the initiator of the programme, for complementing government’s efforts at repositioning agriculture in particular and making life more meaningful and worthwhile for the people in general said “Ilerioluwa Development Initiative has become a critical part of the IleriOluwa Family, providing welfare, economic and empowerment services to the people and complementing our social investment programme aimed at banishing poverty, hunger and misery in the State.
He maintained that his Administration is committed to making Agriculture the bedrock and mainstay of the State’s socioeconomic development and that the race to delivering food sufficiency and making Osun the food basket of the region was very much on course.
Governor Oyetola disclosed that the Administration had developed a modality to change the narrative, bring desired change and encourage people’s participation in agriculture.
The initiative according to the Governor was to encourage the farmers to get involved in the transformation of the fortune of the State through a realistic economic diversification process.
He said the State has set up a committee to coordinate, cultivate and rally the crop and livestock farmers across the State to ensure peace and deliver an enabling environment for farming and peaceful coexistence.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Adedayo Adewole, commended the leadership of Ilerioluwa Development Initiative for their prompt intervention to turn around the fortune of agriculture and make life prosperous for farmers.
Adewole disclosed that over 1, 000 old chicks, 1, 000 cashew seedlings, 1, 000 cocoa seedlings and over 200 bundles of cassava had been set aside to be distributed to women farmers.
