Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has stated that investments
in agriculture will help the nation tackle youth unemployment .
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the Minister of Agriculture,
Chief Audu Ogbeh and Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator
Heineken Lokpobiri at the Government House Port Harcourt on Wednesday,
Governor Wike said agriculture is essential to the revival of the
nation’s economy.
He said: “If Nigeria must move to the next level, agriculture is key.
To reduce unemployment, we must focus on agriculture “.
The governor lauded the Minister of Agriculture for displaying
maturity by ensuring that the issues of food production are
insulated from politics.
The governor said that his administration is developing a public
private partnership model to enhance the development of
agriculture.
He said: “We are developing the cassava factory to improve the
commercial farming of the product. We are also working with a
private company to revive our rubber factory”.
He informed that his administration is working with the Rivers
State University to revive the College of Agriculture at Onne for the
training of agricultural professionals.
Governor Wike said that the State Government will collaborate with
the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to improve key aspects of the
State Agricultural Sector.
In his remarks, Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh said unless
the youth are reintroduced to agriculture, the country will always
have security challenges as most urban youths are idle.
He said issues of agriculture must be placed above politics in the
overall interest of the country.
The Minister said that Rivers State has the potentials to be a major
source of fish for the entire country.
The Ministers of Agriculture and all the Commissioners of Agriculture
are Rivers State for the National Council of Agriculture.