Leading gubernatorial aspirant in Oyo State,Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, has said Oyo State has the potential to provide food for the whole of West Africa.
He made this known while speaking to party leaders recently.
Tegbe said, “Oyo state boasts of the largest land mass in South West Nigeria with 84% arable land. Furthermore, our soil is very rich and our people certainly work very hard. We can, therefore, build the capacity of farmers through outgrower schemes and introduce cluster practices that will allow farmers get maximum benefits from their yield. We won’t stop at just planting and harvesting, we will increase the available storage facilities and encourage more agro-processing industries to come to the market so we can make gains across the agric value chain.
“It is against this backdrop that I have made a contract with the people of Oyo State to make Oyo State a world class agro-based industrial hub that will attract both local and foreign investment. His Excellency, Governor Ajimobi has laid the foundation for modern Oyo State; what we need now is to consolidate on those gains to deliver the coveted sustainable development,” he said.
He also reiterated his commitment to growing and exporting the rich culture of Oyo State. “Oyo State is a very culturally rich state that has the potential to attract tourists. We have a unique opportunity to expose all areas of the state to the international community bring economic fortunes to all parts of the state.”
On education, Tegbe emphasised that Oyo State is blessed to have the first University in Nigeria and there is much more that can be achieved. He drew party members’ attention to the fact many graduates now go further to develop inherent skills in internationally recognized fashion, culinary and even music schools in London, New York, Paris and many foreign countries. Unfortunately, Nigeria now imports artisans from neighboring countries.These are the gaps Tegbe hopes to bridge through qualitative access to education. He said his education blueprint for the state is to go further and get internationally certified technical and professional bodies so we too can become a net exporter of quality human resources.
Speaking on infrastructure, Tegbe elucidated the need to develop more infrastructure that will make the state an attractive investment destination. He said, “For instance the entry of a metropolitan fibre infrastructure is critical to attracting tech companies to the state. The world is a global village and Oyo State can quickly become home to tech giants with the provision of desired infrastructure.”
Tegbe, who currently serves as Africa’s Lead on Cyber Security, Senior Partner and Head of the Technology Advisory Services and Markets of a global management advisory firm, and Chairman of the National Council for Management Development [NCMD], said his desire is to encourage and reward innovation in Oyo State.
