By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.
Kogi State is positioning itself to become the nation’s leading agricultural hub by 2025, according to the State’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Timothy Ojomah. Speaking after defending the Ministry of Agriculture’s 2025 budget at the Kogi State House of Assembly, Ojomah outlined the state’s plans to enhance its agricultural production, making it a significant player in the national and regional food supply.
Ojomah pointed to Kogi’s impressive performance in food production in 2024, despite the challenges of flooding in several local government areas.
He emphasized that the state is currently the top producer of cassava and cashew in Nigeria, with growing interest from buyers across the country. “The demand for Kogi’s agricultural products is a win for our local economy, empowering our people and boosting the state’s GDP,” Ojomah stated.
Looking ahead to 2025, Ojomah revealed that the government plans to expand agricultural production from 10,000 hectares to 50,000 hectares.
Key to this expansion is the focus on mechanized farming, supported by the World Bank’s Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project.
This initiative will provide essential equipment like bulldozers, tractors, and excavators to support large-scale farming in the state.
In addition, the state government is refurbishing old farming equipment to make it accessible to farmers, helping transition from traditional subsistence farming to mechanized agri-business.
“Our vision is to make Kogi State a leader in food production, not only for Nigeria but for Africa,” Ojomah concluded.