AGRICULTURE: Full Opening Speech Delivered, During Agricultural Development Training, By YCYW Ogun Chapter Chairman, Hon. Sunday Adebowale.

AGRICULTURE: Full Opening Speech Delivered, During Agricultural Development Training, By YCYW Ogun Chapter Chairman, Hon. Sunday Adebowale.

Opening Speech Delivered By Hon Sunday Adebowale (Chairman YCYW Ogun State Council) During YCYW Agricultural Development Training By IITA Ibadan On 28/8/2021 At Nuj Hall Iwe Iroyin Abeokuta Ogun State

All Protocol duly Observed,

It’s my great pleasure to have you all notable leaders, government functionaries, Ogun state youths and stakeholders in this hall as we witness the first agricultural intervention training programme tagged OPERATION GO BACK TO FARM (OGBF) with the first phase starting up with capacity building through the training of over 150 youths present in this hall today on one of our key agricultural enterprise in Ogun state.

 Cassava Production Value Chain

Cassava being one of the main food crop which Ogun state has comparative advantage on, with availability of very fast areas of arable land. 

Also, considering the high dependency on it’s by-products as both for food and industrial use such as cassava flakes, flour, cassava starch, ethanol and sorbitol. 

Thus, this has informed our decision of choosing cassava production training as our flag-off project on agriculture.

Within the past three months, we have engaged various stakeholders including government, private sector players, agribusiness experts and agricultural institutions which has helped us attain this current fit of being able to secure a collaboration and support of International Institute for Tropical Agriculture ( IITA) Ibadan a well grounded agriculture institute that in general known as hub of cassava roots production & reseach. 

In our further engagement, we have been able to secure various partnership on provision of suitable land on Lease arrangement for this purpose in various local government and three Senatorial district in Ogun state, as at today we already have a 10 hectares land and 40 acres of land in ogun west to startup with as our model farm. It’s based on all these aforementioned progress that we have find it expedient to immediately bring our youthful members on board to be trained.

I must let you all know that this program is not just ending here as we will be moving down to the farm to immediately establish our model cassava farm with the first set of serious-minded individuals. In addition, we shall initiate the discussion with several micro-production centers where members interested in processing value-chain could be linked with those facilities to add values to cassava tubers. 

Our agricultural intervention program will also bridge the gap between agriculture passionate youths and business-oriented youths as we will facilitate several entrepreneurial training for our youths to have the capacity to run agriculture successfully as a sustainable business to cater to their economic needs. 

As we all know, that journey of a thousand miles begins with a step, Yoruba Council of Youths worldwide (YCYW) ogun state council has taken the first giant stride step to further awaken our youth’s interest in agribusiness complementing the government and other several stakeholder’s efforts. With your support, we will make the desired impact in the Ogun state agricultural sector as a the umbrella body of all socio-cultural Yoruba organization in Ogun state and Nigeria under the Global President of Aare Oladotun Hassan Esq, and our royal grand patron His Imperial Majesty OBA BABATUNDE OGUNWUSI OONI of ife, Ojaja ii.

With all sense of responsibility and Humility we sincerely appreciates the support of ogun state government led by His Excellency Prince Dapo Abiodun MFR, for his laudable giants stride in the area of agricultural and other developmental agenda in our dear gateway state in the last two years.

In the same vain, to whom much is given much is expected, we want to appreciate the following distinguished leaders and important personalities distinguished Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka, Chairman house committee on ecological funds (MHR Ifo/Ewekoro), HRH Oba (Dr) Faluade Fakayode Olu of Ibogun, (YCYW Royal Patron), Hon. Dr. Taiwo Emmanuel (HC for Culture and Tourism) Professor (Aare) Saani Oladimeji of IITA, Hon. (Amb.) Farouk Akintunde, Dr. Oganla Oladimeji, Hon Olanrewaju Michael George (OMG), Engineer Nathaniel Sodipo, and all our Royal fathers in Ogun state, among others, for their usual unflinching and fatherly support towards the emancipation and progress of Yoruba Coucil of Youths Worldwide Ogun state Chapter.

In Conclusion, An idle mind is devil workshop, we hereby unequivocally call all well meaning Ogun state Youths and stakeholders to join hands with us as we take Ogun state to the next level in terms of agricultural development and sustainability 

ÀGBÈ L’ỌBA….. OPERATIONS GO BACK TO THE FARM

Long live YCYW

Long Live Ogun State

Long live Federal Republic of Nigeria.