By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo

Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for its ongoing reforms in the agricultural sector, particularly its focus on livestock development.

Speaking during a visit by the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee, led by Professor Attahiru Jega, Adeleke described the initiative as timely and essential.

In a press statement issued in Osogbo by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, Adeleke expressed his administration’s readiness to align with the Federal Government’s vision for agricultural reform.

The advocacy visit, held at the Executive Council Chambers of the Governor’s Office, provided Adeleke the platform to outline his administration’s efforts to position Osun State as a leading contributor to food security and agricultural sustainability in Nigeria.

“My administration is irrevocably committed to any initiative by the Federal Government that will put more food on the tables of Nigerians,” Adeleke affirmed.

Welcoming the committee, Adeleke highlighted measures his government has taken to enhance agricultural productivity.

“One of the efforts of my administration in this regard, among others, was the recent procurement of thirty-one tractors given to the farmers in the state, aimed at boosting food sufficiency.

“In addition to this, seedlings and other incentives are being given to farmers at will by my administration using a well-structured implementation drive being organised ceaselessly by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in my state.

“My dear Professor Jega and your team, at the risk of sounding immodest, I want to tell you with all sense of responsibility, that my State, Osun, is enormously endowed and blessed with arable lands and forests, which, if fully harnessed in the best way, will ensure food security and create more job opportunities, not only for my people here in Osun but Nigeria as a whole.”

Governor Adeleke also pledged to form a committee of agricultural experts to design a robust framework for livestock reform in Osun State.

Earlier, Professor Jega, the Co-Chairman of the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee and former Chairman of INEC, outlined the goals of the initiative.

He urged Adeleke to consider establishing a Ministry or Agency dedicated to livestock development in Osun State.

“To give it the needed backing,” Jega noted, “an enabling legislation through the State House of Assembly would be necessary.”

Jega also called on Adeleke to engage critical stakeholders in the livestock sector and raise awareness about the importance of reforming the industry for the benefit of all Nigerians.

The visit underscored the Federal Government’s commitment to driving growth in agriculture and livestock, with the potential to transform Osun State into a model of food security and economic development.