Agric takes centre stage at Ife Day

Agric takes centre stage at Ife Day

•Group to raise N500m for community projects

Ile-Ife, the cradle of the Yoruba, has returned the development of agriculture to the front burner.

The yearly Ife Day celebration will take the youths through agriculture orientation to boost the economy of the ancient city.

Members of the Ife Development Board (IDB), organisers of the Ife Day billed for March 13 to 15, spoke on the plan during a visit to The Nation’s headquarters in Lagos.

The theme of this year’s celebration is: “Industrialisation for youth empowerment”.

Those on the IDB’s three-man delegation to The Nation were the President, Prof Muibi Opeloye; Mr. Gbenga Adefaye and Mr. Kola Adetunmbi.

Opeloye said: “Ife is an agrarian community and we have youths who are unemployed. We need necessary facilities like water, electricity and roads, and that is why we need the government’s assistance.”

The board spoke of plans to raise N500 million during the celebration.

Opeloye said: “Before the government comes to our aid, we want to start something.”

He said the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, has donated land and funds for the board’s agricultural drive.

Adefaye, who is the general manager/editor-in-chief of Vanguard and a former president of Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), said it is imperative that Ife youths take advantage of agriculture, given the abundance of fertile land.

He said there was need to provide basic infrastructure, such as roads, to the many farms in the state.

Adefaye said: “Some elites who have farms cannot access their farms when rain falls and the ordinary person cannot provide these infrastructure.”

Adetunmbi called for the creation of an industrial park to create jobs.

Activities lined up for the Ife Day celebration include cultural displays and a gala night on March 14.

The grand finale, which includes the fund raising holds on March 15 at the Government Technical College on Ifewara Road at 10am.

The fund raising will be chaired by Mallam Yusuf Ali. Prince Toye Ariyo is the chief launcher. Governor Rauf Aregbesola is the chief host.

Vice-President Namadi Sambo; Senate President David Mark and House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal are expected at the event.

Also expected are Governors Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Peter Obi (Anambra), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa) and Gabriel Suswam (Benue).

Others are Governors Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Usman Dakingari (Kebbi) and Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo).

The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, is the royal father of the day.