A grant of $148,209 (N55 million) to facilitate provision of modern equipment for local rice farmers in Ekiti State has been made to the government for rice production.
Agreement for the grant was signed by the Ambassador of Japan in Nigeria, Mr. Kikuta Yutaka, and New Initiative for Social Development (NISD) Programme Manager, Mr. Martins Ogunlade, representing the civil society body facilitators of the grant.
It is to assist rice farmers from Gbonyin LGA with farming equipment such as power tillers and combined harvesters.
The state government was represented at the signing ceremony by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Folorunso Olabode; Special Adviser to the Governor on Development Partnerships, Mrs Margaret Fagboyo; and Special Assistant to the Governor on Civil Society Matters, Biodun Oyeleye.
The scheme was floated under the Japanese Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Yutaka expressed confidence that the public-private-partnership assistance would boost rice production in Ekiti State, adding that the Japanese Embassy in Nigeria would monitor the project and ensure it was implemented to the letter.
The envoy said the project would be implemented in collaboration with Toyota Tsusho Corporation which would provide agricultural equipment from Yanmar Company Limited and Mahindra Agricultural Machinery Company Limited.
The NISD Programme Manager on his part described the project as “a boost to food security not only in Ekiti but in Nigeria.”
