FG to create 3.5m jobs through agriculture by 2015

The Federal Government on Monday reiterated its commitment to create 3.5 million jobs through the agricultural value chains of production, processing and marketing by 2015.

President Goodluck Jonathan said this in Uyo at the opening of a three-day international conference on oil palm production.

The conference tagged ‘First International Palm Produce Conference (IPPC)’ has ‘Investment in Oil Palm and its Derivatives: A Panacea for African Economic Growth and Sustenance’ as its theme.

The president, who was represented by Samuel Ortom, the minister of state for industry, trade and investment, said that govern

ment was poised to unlock the enormous potentials of agriculture.

He expressed government’s determination to add 20 million metric tons of food to the domestic supply by 2015.

“We have identified oil palm as one of the important commodities and key drivers to promote the value chain initiative.

“We have also intensified efforts to provide enabling environment.”

Jonathan said that between 1961 and 1965, Nigeria was the world largest producer and marketer of palm produce, contributing 39 percent of the world average production.

“It is an irony that we allowed this position to slip out of our hands.

“Nevertheless, this administration is resolved to return the nation to the former glorious level of performance.”

The president said that a major breakthrough towards the attainment of the objective was the launching of Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme.

Under the GES, the president said that farmers were receiving inputs directly.

In his goodwill message, Governor Idris Wada of Kogi said that his state was the highest producer of oil palm in Northern Nigeria.

Wada, who was represented by the commissioner for agriculture, Femi Folarin, said that oil palm has high economic potentials.

He said that his administration was investing heavily in oil palm production across the state.