The Kwara State Government is set to collaborate with agricultural practitioners and stakeholders with a view to exploring the huge vista opportunities in the agricultural sector that have remained untapped.

The Special Adviser to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed on Agriculture and Rural Water Support Service, Hon Anu Ibiwoye gave the assurance while speaking at the maiden Conference of Agricultural Practitioners and Stakeholders (CAPAS), 2016 held at Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin. Hon Ibiwoye according to a statement signed by press secretaries of the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Haljanat Haruna and Aliyu Amode, said untapped agricultural opportunities and over dependence on oil had crippled the nation's economy and stressed the need Nigeria to go back to the basis by reviving the agricultural sector.

According to him" I wonder why must we continue to sleep when our petro-based economy is said to be losing an average of $10 billion annual expert opportunity from groundnut, palm oil, cocoa and cotton alone due to continuous declines and stagnation in the exports of these products? Why must we continue to sleep when Nigeria (with our huge agricultural potentials) still remain the second largest importer of rice in the world (N356 billion), sugar (N217 billion), fish (N97 billion) etc ?

"Why must we continue to sleep when it has been established that through a visionary agricultural transformation agenda, Nigeria can create 3.5 million job within the value chains of five major crops (ricen cassava, sorghum, cocoa and cotton)?"

The Special Adviser emphasized the need for Nigeria to fully adopt mechanized farming and use improved seedling to ensure best agricultural practice that could propel sustainable agriculture. "This is time to wake up and go back to the basis. We can no longer pretend that our holes and cutlasses will lead to sustainable agriculture and feed our growing population".

Hon Ibiwoye commended the leadership of Agricultural and Allied Employees Union of Nigeria (AAEUN) for keeping the flag of agricultural employees flying in the state and for blazing the trail in the established of agricultural academy designed to train farmers and mob up great number of jobless youths from unemployment market.

He said the present administration led by Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed had taken bold steps to develop agricultural sector to stimulate food security, job and wealth creation, economic growth and development through the Shared Prosperity Agenda and the Kwara State Agricultural Modernization Master Plan (KWAP). He said KWAP was designed to fast track the development of agriculture not only as major driver of economy of the state, but also a veritable tool for youth employment.

While describing the theme of the conference "Opening Vista of Opportunities through Sustainable Agricultural Practice" as apt and timely, he assured that government would explore windows of opportunity opened by the union to realize its set goals.