Osun State Can Supply Cocoa Plantain, Cassava In Bulk – Govt

Osun State Government on Monday said that the state is capable of supplying Plantain, Cassava and Cocoa in bulk if requested just as it disclosed that it has disbursed more than N851 million loan to farmers through its agriculture initiative , Quick Impact Intervention Programme (QIIP) since 2011 till date.

The state Commissioner For Commerce, industries and Cooperatives, Mr Ismaila Jaiyeoba -Alagbada disclosed this at a news conference in Osogbo.

Jayeoba-Alagbada said that 496 farmers’cooperatives groups with 11, 460 members had benefited from the loan.
According to him, the figure is made up of 19 per cent men, 36 per cent women and 14 per cent youths.

“The objectives of the programme is to ensure food sufficiency, job creation, poverty allevation and overall development of the state”, the Commissioner said.

Besides, Jayeoba-Alagbada said that the State Micro-Credit Agency in collaboration with Central Bank of Nigeria Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund (CBN-MSME) had disbursed more than N4 billion to 27, 252 MSMEs since 2014 till date.

The Commissioner further explained that the Osun Government and Bank of Industry under MSMEs matching fund had disbursed more than N457 million to seven SMEs and 53 cooperative business groups.

“The highlighted efforts of the state governmemt, among others, have started yielding fruitful results.

“The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the state had increased from N191.1 billion to N398 billion over the same period.

“The latest report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and National Buraue of Statistics (NBS) classify Osun as the state with the lowest poverty rate in Nigeria.

“There is no doubt that Aregbesola administration had laid a solid foundation and has gone to put firm structure on the foundation to ensure enduring socio-economic develooment of the state”, Jayeoba-Alagbada said.