Kwara State’s bold initiative in commercial agriculture got a boost at the weekend with the presentation and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the state government and the Cornell University of New York on the Kwara State Agriculture Masterplan.
Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, who led the Kwara State delegation to the presentation of the KAMP document and the signing of the MoU in New York, signed on behalf of the state while Prof. W. Ronnie Coffman, Cornell’s Director of International Programme, signed for the University.
The document presents a clear road map for the expansion, funding and impact of commercial agriculture in the state for the next five years.
It is the product of a three-month collaborative research by Cornell professors and their Nigerian counterparts, led by the Vice Chancellor of the Kwara State University, Prof. Abdulrasheed Na’Allah.
Explaining the significance of the MoU, Coffman said Kwara State made history by being the first state government in the world to succeed in partnering with the university, which is renowned globally for its expertise in agriculture.
“It is the first time this university is signing an MoU with any state government. We are proud of this partnership and we are confident that the MoU will produce good results,” he said.
Ahmed pledged to implement the document to the letter, stressing that his administration would go beyond the conventional system of measuring input and output to measuring the impact of the measures being taken to “make Kwara the agriculture hub of West Africa..”
The governor lauded the pioneering efforts of his predecessor, Senator Bukola Saraki, in commercial agriculture, noting that the opportunity of continuity in governance in the state has made it possible for him to build on the foundation laid by the former governor.
In his goodwill message, Saraki commended the Ahmed administration for producing KAMP, expressing confidence that the governor, having served in the immediate past administration as Commissioner for Finance and later Economic Development, understands the vision and benefits of the agricultural revolution in Nigeria being championed by Kwara State.
Impressed by the lofty ideas of KAMP and the signing of an MoU to drive its implementation, the Director of USAID in Nigeria, Ms Sharon Pauling, who personally attended the signing ceremony, pledged immediate support for the programme.
“We are looking into having a partnership with Kwara on rice and fish production. We are expecting to see Kwara as a leader in our drive to support food production in Nigeria,” the USAID chief said.
The MOU signing ceremony was also witnessed by members of the diplomatic community in New York and leading members of the Kwara State Association of Nigeria, North American chapter, and leading members of Cornell University.