The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Cornell University, USA and the Kwara State Government yesterday entered into a tripartite agreement to further enhance the commercial farming in the state.

Speaking during the visit of the two teams who jointly paid him a courtesy visit in his office, Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed said the synergy between the government and the two foreign bodies signified a strong position of the state government to realize its dream of driving its agricultural sector to an enviable standard.

Governor Ahmed, who was elated with his government’s new collaboration with the two bodies, said the scenario would enable his administration to achieve the desired level of moving Kwara to the Promised Land.

“Our program with Cornell University no doubt is going to give us the most important platform that will ensure a sustainable agric development transformation programme in Kwara State and indeed Nigeria.

“No doubt, for what we have applied with Cornell University encapsulated in our plan document shows that we are prepared to move on to that level that will take us to greater height.”

Governor Ahmed commended the two bodies for the choice of Kwara as the state to partner with and pledged the readiness of the state government to have a good working relationship with them.

He explained that the government is to select and empowerment 10 farmers in each local government of the state and transform them from subsistence to commercial farmers, adding that the success of that project will serve as model for other farmers in the state.

In their separate remarks, the leader of Cornell University team, Prof. Ronnie Coffman and USAID Mission Director, Dana Mansuri expressed optimism that the collaboration would bear fruitful results for the state government and Nigeria at large.

The objective of the collaboration is to increase private-sector participation and investment, raise incomes, increase employment, promote food security and reduce poverty.