Ogun State is a strong ally of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in the execution of its projects and development programs.
After meeting with Governor Dapo Abiodun at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, over the weekend, Professor Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, Special Adviser to the President of the Bank on Industrialization, claimed in an interview.
He stated that the purpose of the visit was to explain the terms of the subsidiary loan arrangement between the state and the federal government and to address One Agenda, Item 18, which is focused on the creation of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone.
“We now know exactly how to build the hub—including the Agricultural Transformation Center—to make sure that the important Zone agreements are implemented,” the AFDB representative stated.
The state will benefit from having numerous Agricultural Transformation Centers, according to Commissioner of Agriculture Mr. Bolu Owotomo, since they will supply raw materials to the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone.
As the crop season approaches, he said, his ministry is now providing farmers with inputs so they can increase their standard of living and produce a big harvest.
Owotomo also disclosed that Extension Officers are being trained to better educate small-holder farmers on how to use the inputs that have been provided to them, to increase capacity building. The report encourages farmers to plant a strong crop by adhering to climate-smart farming practices.
In a related event, the Nigerian Standard Organization (SON) said that it has taken action to ensure the security of vehicles transporting compressed natural gas (CNG) throughout the nation.
This is in retaliation for last weekend’s blast in Abeokuta.
This was revealed on Thursday following a meeting between Governor Abiodun and the Director-General of the Organization, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunoso Okeke, at the Governor’s Office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The Director-General expressed regret for the event and stated that compressed natural gas (CNG) is still an affordable, clean, and eco-friendly fuel that can replace other conventional petroleum products.
He stated, “I am here in relation to the incident that occurred last Saturday. I’m come to inform the governor that, as of May 29 of this year, President Bola Tinubu would be launching CNG operations under new safety regulations. As everyone is aware, the President has issued an order requiring cars to run on compressed natural gas (CNG), which is an environmentally friendly substitute for conventional fuel.”
“I am here to inform the governor that two new standards have been released. These standards will assist us in guaranteeing the safety of CNG operations throughout the nation.”
Dr. Okeke expressed condolences to the bereaved family and those who had to lose their source of income but promised that his organization would investigate both the close and distant causes of the mishap to provide a remedy.
He stated that the federal government was dedicated to using compressed natural gas as a substitute to power the economy of the nation.
“We will investigate the cause of this isolated incident and devise strategies to guarantee that in the future, CNG operations will be secure for everyone and that the public has faith in its application,” he concluded.
