Ogun SAPZ Distributes 4,316 Toolkits, Planting Materials To Farmers

ODOGBOLU, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA – As part of its commitment to improving household nutrition and boosting the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, the Ogun State Government, under the leadership of Prince Dapo Abiodun through the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme, has flagged off the distribution of 4,316 home gardening toolkits and planting materials for both wet and dry seasons to farmers across four participating Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state.

The Governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Bolu Owotomo, stated this recently at Odogbolu, Ogun State during the distribution exercise, saying the symbolic event was a sign of Abiodun’s commitment to inclusive ‘bottom up’ development, where the most vulnerable households are empowered to take control of their food intake, nutrition and income.

“The world is facing rising food insecurity and nutritional challenges, hence, the need to return to community-based, resilient food systems, home gardening is one of the simplest and impactful ways to achieve this, with a small piece of land at our backyards, where we can put some few containers, households can produce tomatoes, vegetables, peppers, okra fruits and more’’.

‘’This improves nutrition, reduces food bills and even creates surplus for income generation. Under this intervention, selected households who have been trained by SAPZ on home garden in Four (4) Local Government Areas of the state will receive gardening toolkits tailored to small-space (backyard) farming, improved seedlings and planting materials, suitable for the agro-ecology. This is not just handout, it is a seed of independence which we hope will grow into a culture of productivity across homes in our State,‘’ he said.

Governor Abiodun commended the sponsors and the SAPZ team for prioritising this initiative and ensuring that it reaches the intended beneficiaries, saying that it aligned with the ‘ISEYA’ Mantra of the present dministration as well as the Ministry’s commitment to inclusive, sustainable agricultural development that empowers not just large-scale farmers, but everyday families across our dear state.

He urged the beneficiaries to take full ownership of the tools and materials given to them by utilising them wisely, reiterating that what they grow at their backyards could nourish the entire households as well as generating extra income, noting that, real development began when people were empowered to feed themselves, caring for their families, thus, living with dignity.

He assured that his Administration through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security remained committed to supporting community-based agricultural interventions and to strengthen the impact of the SAPZ programme in the state.

Also Speaking, Chairman of Odogbolu Local Government, Hon. Babatunde Diya, appreciated the Governor for selecting Odogbolu as part of the 4 local governments that would benefit from the SAPZ initiative, noting that women were the determinant of household nutrition, as the programme was targeted at women especially those within the child bearing age.

Hon. Diya reiterated his commitment towards positioning the council as the hub for Agricultural development, revealing that 400 hectares of land had been donated to support the landless youths and women under the SAPZ programme to help in the development of Agri-business, stressing that women are vital in every aspect of the society.

Earlier, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, who also doubles as the state Programme Coordinator, Mrs. Kehinde Jokotoye appreciated the participants for their unwavering dedication, collaborative spirit and invaluable contributions towards the continued success of the programme.

She noted that the initiative was specifically targeted at women farmers, with the motive to empower them grow fresh, nutritious food within their household through home gardening.

‘’This year’s intervention targets farmers in Obafemi Owode, Odogbolu, Ijebu-East, and Yewa-North LGAs, while other local governments in the state will be included in subsequent phases of the programme,’’ she said.

The SPC appealed to beneficiaries not to sell the toolkits given to them as they were very costly, advising them to put them into good use in order to improve both their livelihoods and household nutrition.
Contributing, the resource person, Mr. Akinwande, took time to explain the application of the toolkits and planting materials to the farmers, urging them to follow good agronomical practice (GAP) for quality crop yield.

In their separate remarks, beneficiaries, the youth representative, Mrs. Sunamite Atobisan and Mrs. Okepopo Bolanle, appreciated the government’s immense support to farmers as well as its continued investment in the Agricultural sector, pledging that the toolkits would be put to effective use in enhancing their livelihood and nutrition.

The distributed home gardening toolkits include okra seeds, pepper, amaranthus, ewedu, pawpaw, tomatoes seeds, cocopeat, germination trays, grow bags, hand gloves, organic fertilisers, organic insecticide, rakes, shovels and SAPZ branded bags.

It would be recalled that, the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones programme was a Federal government initiative in collaboration with development partners such as the African Development Bank (AFDB) International Fund for Agricultural Development Fund (IFAD), Islamic Development Bank (ISDB) and the Ogun State Government.