In a bid to drive an agricultural revolution in Plateau State, His Excellency, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, joined his Oyo State counterpart, Engr. Seyi Makinde, in welcoming the President of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Dr. Julius Maada Bio, for a strategic engagement on agricultural transformation, food security, and sustainable agribusiness initiatives.
The high-level discussion, which took place at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Headquarters in Ibadan, Oyo State, featured Governor Mutfwang, Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, and the host Governor, Seyi Makinde, as key panelists. They shared insights from their respective states on fostering agricultural development.
Governor Mutfwang seized the opportunity to highlight the agricultural potential of Plateau State, particularly in Irish potato production, where the state has a comparative advantage.
He lamented the lack of continuity in past administrations’ agricultural policies, particularly at the Agricultural Services and Training Centre (ASTC), and emphasized his administration’s commitment to revitalizing the sector for food security.
“We inherited a struggling agricultural sector that had suffered setbacks due to policy discontinuity. In 2011, an attempt to drive mechanization was initiated but was unfortunately abandoned by the succeeding administration.
“However, we are now making deliberate efforts to resuscitate institutions and infrastructure, including the revitalization of about 300 tractors at ASTC, supplemented by new acquisitions to enhance mechanized farming,” he stated.
Governor Mutfwang also highlighted his administration’s subsidy on fertilizers and other farm inputs since taking office in 2023, ensuring affordability for farmers. He said the Ministry of Agriculture has taken data of farmers across the state for ease of distribution of farming inputs in a scientific manner.
He stressed the importance of public-private sector collaboration, noting that his government has restructured the Ministry of Agriculture by creating the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries, and Animal Husbandry to harness the state’s strengths in these areas.
President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone explained that his visit to IITA aimed to strengthen partnerships, foster innovation, and mobilize investments to accelerate the Feed Salone Program—a flagship initiative designed to combat food insecurity and malnutrition in Sierra Leone.
“My visit to IITA is a reaffirmation of my administration’s political will to prioritize agriculture. We are bringing together government leaders, development partners, the private sector, and research institutions to explore scalable solutions for agricultural transformation in Sierra Leone,” President Bio noted.
During the visit, Governor Seyi Makinde led President Bio on a tour of the Fasola Agribusiness Industrial Hub, recently redesignated as Nigeria’s first Agribusiness Transformation Centre by the African Development Bank (AfDB) under the Special Agro-Industrial Zone (SAPZ) program.
Governor Makinde expressed appreciation to Governors Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang and Prof. Babagana Zulum for participating in the panel discussion on “Learning from Success Stories and Strengthening Private Sector Partnerships.”
The visit concluded with a presidential dinner in honor of Dr. Julius Maada Bio, which coincided with the birthday celebration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Gyang Bere
Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Executive Governor of Plateau State
March 6, 2025
