The Director General of the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA), Dr Debo Akande, has mentioned that the state government’s agribusiness policies is making a measurable impact at the grassroots level. 

Dr Akande, who also has served as the Executive Adviser to the Oyo State Governor on Agribusiness, made these remarks at the OYSADA headquarters in Ibadan while hosting a meeting with Supervisory Councillors for agriculture from across the 33 local government areas of the state.

The engagement has formed part of the government’s strategy to ensure that its agribusiness initiatives are not limited to large-scale projects but are also felt in rural communities. 

Explaining the approach, Dr Akande has stated, “The purpose of the meeting is to engage Supervisory Councillors on agriculture across all local governments. It reflects our approach as a government to ensure that we engage every nook and corner of the state. 

Our projects are not just about large transformative initiatives alone, but how those projects impact people at the grassroots, including at the ward and local government levels.”

Feedback from participants at the meeting has indicated that several government programmes already begun to yield results across communities. 

Dr Akande has noted, “Many of the participants referenced some of our programmes, including the NPS initiative and the Youth Entrepreneurship in Agribusiness Programme. 

They also spoke about the number of beneficiaries and the impact these initiatives have had. This is encouraging and shows that the vision of the government and the strategies adopted are creating real impact.”

The agribusiness adviser has further stressed the need for sustained engagement with stakeholders to gain critical insights into the needs of the people. “What we have also seen is that this kind of engagement is required consistently. It allows us to hear directly from the people at the grassroots and understand what they want,” he has added. 

Akande disclosed that the government is set to roll out a new implementation plan to further deepen grassroots-focused interventions. 

He concluded, “We don’t know it all. When people make suggestions, we look at them and see how to incorporate them into our projects. That is where we are today.”

Source: The Authority