Ogun State Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, has emphasized that limited access to finance is hindering farming in rural communities, leading to relocation to urban areas.
She stressed this during a meeting with the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, led by Prof. Pius Olanrewaju.
“The lack of access to financial services could discourage rural dwellers, thereby compelling them to abandon their agricultural activities,” Salako-Oyedele warned.
She urged bankers to increase rural penetration, highlighting the importance of finance for smallholder farmers’ growth and survival.
Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration has implemented policies making Ogun the preferred investment destination, with new companies and industries emerging.
The deputy governor cited the recent rice farmland project and agricultural interventions, aiming to expand to 2,000 hectares and engage young people in agribusiness.
Prof. Olanrewaju praised the administration’s industrialization and infrastructural efforts, citing the airport project with an agricultural processing zone and logistic hub as a foundation for growth and prosperity.