Akure: Mr Wemimo Akinsola, Senior Special Assistant to the Ondo Governor on Agriculture and Agribusiness, has unveiled plans to establish an agricultural company aimed at enhancing food security and generating employment in the state. The initiative is designed to mitigate hunger and elevate Ondo from being mere primary producers to becoming a hub for processing farm produce, thereby creating job opportunities for its residents.

According to News Agency of Nigeria, Akinsola highlighted the significance of food security in bolstering the state’s economy and improving the well-being of its people. He emphasized that the key to economic prosperity lies in food processing within the agricultural sector, and the government is actively encouraging citizens to engage in processing their agricultural products.

Akinsola outlined the proposal to create a Sunshine agro-company, which will be managed by established companies and investors. This venture will involve building necessary infrastructure, including tractor zones across three central districts, to facilitate agricultural investment and ensure food security.

The project, which will be a public-private partnership, aims to prevent the export of farm produce to other states. Instead, the focus will be on collaborating with local farmers to process products and make them market-ready within Ondo.

The safety of farmers is also a priority, and the state has deployed military personnel to secure forests, encouraging more youths to take up farming. Additionally, improvements in electricity in the southern senatorial district, initiated by the governor, are expected to boost employment, with a new project projected to employ between 6,000 and 7,000 people.