The Ogun State Ministry of Agriculture has set in motion machinery to consolidate on its achievements in the promotion of selected key value chains such as rice, cassava, poultry, and fish, among others, while it anticipates support to farms and firms from World Bank Intervention in the next fiscal year, thus the Ministry has proposed a budget estimate of N3.78 billion as its total expenditure for 2022.
Dr Adeola Odedina, the State Commissioner in charge of the Ministry, stated this while appearing before members of the State House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation, chaired by Hon Olakunle Sobukanla, to defend the Ministry’s 2022 estimate at the Assembly’s Complex, Oke-mosan, Abeokuta.
Dr. Adeola Odedina, Commissioner for Agriculture, explained that of the entire budget of N3.78 billion, N1.25 billion would go to people, N100 million would go to overhead, and N2.429 billion was set aside for capital projects.
He also stated that the Ministry was committed to maintaining food security in the state, as well as providing raw materials for industrial growth and expanding infrastructure for socioeconomic development.
In the same spirit, the State Ministry of Forestry intends to spend a total budget estimate of N1.395 billion in the coming year, of which N685 million will be spent on recurring expenses.
Engr. Tunji Akinosi, State Commissioner for Forestry, who reeled out the figures while defending his Ministry’s budget for the next fiscal year, gave a further breakdown to include N685.7m for recurrent, which included N603m for personnel and the remaining N82.6m for overhead, and a total of N709.8m for capital expenses.
Akinosi further stated that a figure of N205m was proposed as revenue for next year, noting that the revenue might be realised through proceeds from sales of farm produce and timbers, the issue of sawmill licences, earnings from inter-State tolls, and leases on government lands and properties.
The State Forestry Plantation Project, Agro Service Corporation, the State Agricultural Development Corporation, the State Agricultural Development Programme, the State Cassava Revolution Programme, the State Value Chain Development Programme, and the State Economic Transformation Project are among the other agencies that have defended their budget estimates.