Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun says his administration will take full advantage of the value-chain that agriculture offers to boost the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) profile.

The governor stated this on Monday while fielding questions from State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“There is no state that has the kind of resources that we have in terms of number, even in terms of value now.

“We are not limiting it at that. What we are saying is that we want to take it forward, not agriculture that we just farm alone.

“No; we want to take full advantage of the value-chain that agriculture offers.

“And what do I mean by that? Whatever we grow we must process; whatever we processed, we must package; whatever we packaged, we must market; whatever we market, we must in the final analysis find transport it to final consumer.

“You know that everybody is working and that is what we are trying do.”

On the 3rd Ogun State Investors’ Forum, Amosun stated that the forum, which was an annual event, was meant to diversify the state’s economy in three areas of agriculture, environment and transportation.

According to him, several local and foreign investors have indicated their interest to invest in the state.

“This year, we believe that we need to zero in three key areas and that is agriculture, environment and transportation and the reason is not far-fetched.

“If you are going to diversify as we are saying everybody believes and really that is the truth there is no alternative except that diversification, particularly, even before this dwindling in oil prices, we realised that how many people can be employed.

”The only way to go is to diversify into agriculture, environment and the transportation I have mentioned.

“They employ people, they will employ our people. We will create wealth for them. Without that nothing can happen.

“Indeed, those nations that had got it right, if you see them you will discover that they have all these cottage industries, small; small industries.

“They are their enablers and that is why we believe that once we zero in on those three areas; of course, we will get it right.

“And I’m happy to report that, just like what has been happening to us, we got several, several investors, particularly those ones that are not even from Nigeria and so many of people that are in Nigeria that operate here and that is why we showcased everybody not just the international ones, not just the foreign ones, the local ones.”

Amosun further stressed the need to revitalise the nation’s rail and water ways transport system to ensure effective transportation of agricultural products.

The governor also enjoined government at all level to always be conscious of the environment by reducing the carbon dioxide as well as using waste to generate wealth. (NAN)

•Photo shows Governor Amosun.

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