Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ooni of Ife, has charged Nigerians to turn to agriculture for national revival, using the impetus of the current economic recession to go back to land and cultivate cash crops and food crops to achieve food security for the country.
The traditional ruler also called on government to encourage a revolution in agriculture.
He spoke at a forum of plantain innovation cluster/stakeholders interactive session, a presentation of Humid Tropics and Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
Represented by Elejesi of Ejesi-Ife, Oba Babatunde Awosunle, the monarch said as part of his efforts to reduce youth restiveness and unemployment in his domain on assuming the throne he acquired hundreds of hectares of land for cultivation of both cash and food crops, where youths are fully engaged.
“Ile-Ife from time immemorial is known for the production of both cash and food crops. We have land to encourage farmers particularly, the youths to go into farming.
“We want to join hands with stakeholders on how to improve and increase plantain production in my domain. I am more passionate about youth development,” the Oba said.
In his remarks at the occasion, Osun State Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola said the state government had created a conducive environment to ensure mass production of agricultural products to ensure food security in the state.
According to him, one of the intervention programmes of his administration was in the area of poultry and fish production, which form part of the school feeding programme of the government.
