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As a follow-up to the recent weeklong Centennial Celebration hosted by GLEEHD Foundation in London to promote Bilateral Trade and Investment between UK and Nigeria, and the Centennial Award Night where Governor Ahmed was a recipient of the A.D King Prize for Achievement in Public Service Award, the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed hosted the GLEEHD Foundation leadership team at the Kwara State Government House to discuss the Kwara Agricultural Masterplan and other initiative of the state to drive growth and economic investment.
The GLEEHD delegation was led by GLEEHD Foundation’s Director Dayo Israel and Mr Samson Abidemi Ajayi, the Director of GLEEHD’s Kwara technical partner- Gold and Diamond Impact Group, a KWARA based NGO.
Speaking at the meeting, GLEEHD Foundation’s Director Dayo Israel said “Mr. Governor, our goal in GLEEHD Foundation is to help Government truly meet the needs of their people and to strengthen governance into becoming more impactful and that is why we are delighted to be playing a part in Kwara’s effort to attract foreign investments into the state’s agricultural sector”.
He further added that despite the Governors achievement in the areas of power generation, getting more communities on the national grid and education including lowering school fees of student at Kwara State University, the Governor must do more to fight childhood poverty. “Every family deserves a chance at prosperity” He says, and “Mr Governor, your greatest laurel would not be in your awards like that which you received in London but in the amount of lives that has been touched continuously during your administration”, he added.
In his response, the Governor thanked the delegation for their honour at the London meeting; promised not to rest on the laurels but intensify his efforts to make lives better for the ordinary man.
“Agriculture is the main driver of our economy and as we have discussed, remains a paramount part of our state economic development policy. Our goal is to transform kwaran farmers to commercial farmers and ensure even the common man feels the dividends of democracy”, he said.
The Governor further added, “My goal is to take the Kwaran farmers to the level where they can make money from agriculture. 70% of Kwarans are farmers and our focus is to empower them. The Water favours us (we are behind the river Niger), the land favours us, the soil favours us and the people are ready. So if anyone is thinking of investing in Agriculture, Kwara should be their number 1 destination in Nigeria.
The governor pointed out that his government have decided to invest in agriculture and farmers and have started execution with 10 model farmers from the state, with the major focus on rice and cassava. He emphasised the fertility of the land and hopes that this model will be adopted by other states in the nearest future.
The GLEEHD Foundation London event was attended by Governors of Edo, Bauchi, Delta, Osun, Plateau and Kwara as well as other business and economic leaders from Nigeria and included a High Level investment meeting at Buckingham Palace with Former UK Ambassador for Global Trade and Investment – HRH Prince Andrew Duke of York.
