Governor Dapo Abiodun has disclosed that a 2.5 Billion Dollars Cotton processing factory under the Renewed Hope Cotton Resurgence initiative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with a capacity to process 1000 tonnes of cotton per day would soon commence operation in Ogun State.
Governor Abiodun made this known during the launch of the Agriconnect programme at the June 12 Cultural centre, Kuto, Abeokuta.
Agric- connect was a digital agric platform for empowering farmers through mobile-enabled Agricultural Intelligence, initiated by the Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy and the Ogun State Government in conjunction with MTN foundation and Huawei Nigeria Ltd.
He said that the President would in the next sixty days perform the ground breaking of the biggest and largest Cotton processing plant in the world, saying that the tonnes of Cotton to be processed daily at the factory in terms of garment production translates to about four million garments a day.
Prince Dapo Abiodun also disclosed that 1000 farmers under the Ogun State Farmer's Information Management System would benefit from the Agric-Connect, adding that the digital platform would harness the growth of agriculture by establishing a robust platform that could connect farmers to virtual resources, modern technologies and accessible market.
Governor Abiodun said that Agric-connect initiative was not merely about enhancing productivity but about creating a holistic technology driven ecosystem that empowers Nigerian farmers with information about what to plant and the raining pattern.
“According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the April Consumer index indicates that Ogun State experienced a decline in food inflation in a month to month basis.
"As a matter of fact, the statistics went further to say that Ogun State ranks among the states with the slowest rise in food inflation nationwide"
"This is not by our power or might, this is what our President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done," he said.
The Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani in his remarks, said that the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has placed food security at the heart of national development strategy, adding that the target of the Federal Government was to cultivate 500,000 hectares of land.
Dr. Tijani while noting that land and labour alone would not get the country to the desired point of improved food security, said that productivity requires precision and innovation.
The Minister added that timing and intelligence was important to the development of agriculture, saying that the South West had what it takes to feed the country and the whole world.
Speaking, the Senator representing Ogun Central Senatorial District and Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security; Senator Shuaib Salisu disclosed that the Senate would quicken the legislation that would allow for the deployment of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies in the country
He added that such legal frameworks within the country's legal system and environment would be perfected so that agriculture and other things would blossom in the country.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Bolu Owootomo in his remarks noted that the agric-connect initiative embodies the perfect synergy between agriculture and technology driven by a shared vision to unlock the enormous potentials of the agriculture sector to digital innovation.
Owootomo also said that integrating technology into traditional farming practices would no doubt empower farmers in the state and the country as a whole with real time information, adding that the state and its partners were empowering farmers not just as good producers but as entrepreneurs equipped for the digital age.
The Director, Huawei Nigeria Ltd; Mr. Gao disclosed that the clouds smart phone that would be distributed to farmers in the state would carry modern data, hope for the younger generation and dignity for labour.
On her part, the Executive Director, MTN Foundation, Mrs. Odunayo Sanya, noted that the launch of the programme marked a significant milestone in the collective journey towards empowering small holder farmers in Ogun State, saying that, the agric-connect initiative leverages mobile enabled agricultural intelligence to provide farmers with essential tools they need.
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