There are high hopes on the possibility of a revolution in the agriculture sector in Bayelsa State, with the training of some officials of the state ministry of agriculture and natural resources by the Republic of South Korea, which has also donated some tractors to the state for ease of farming.
This is coming at a time that Nigerians have been crying of hunger, which led to the nationwide protest to draw the federal government’s attention to the plight of the masses.
The intensive capacity building on sustainable agricultural development programme, which was fully funded by the Korean government under the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), involved the training of the Chief Agricultural Engineer, Chief Agricultural Officer, Chief Livestock Officer (ADP), and the Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Officers.
Others who took part in the taining were the Director of Agricultural Services, the Livestock Officer (Veterinary), a representative of the School-To-Land Programme as well as the Commissioner for Agriculture, Prof Beke Sese.
Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, who attended the closing ceremony at the weekend in Seoul, applauded the support of the Korean government and also expressed gratitude, particularly to the immediate past Republic of Korea Ambassador to Nigeria, Kim Young-Chae, for being a true “friend of Bayelsa” and for facilitating the training programme.
He said: “I’m happy that by this capacity building training involving the top echelon of our Ministry of Agriculture, Bayelsa has also benefited from the technological advancement of Korea. I hope and believe they will make positive use of the training and will impart the knowledge acquired back home.
“Let me particularly express our gratitude to a friend of Bayelsa State, Ambassador Kim, who made this training possible. Before he left Nigeria, he also facilitated the shipping of two farming tractors to our state. We are most grateful to him.
“Based on this new relationship, I believe it will be a win-win for Korea, Nigeria and Bayelsa State. I believe this is the beginning of a relationship that will boost the development of Bayelsa. I have directed my officials to commence discussions with the Jeonbuk State, a self-governing Korean Province, on areas of collaboration.
“I commend the Managing Director of RISTI (Research Institute of Sustainable Technology and Innovation Consulting), all its organs and, of course, KOICA for the fantastic training and the job you have done.
“This is one of the ways to bring unity to the world. We do not need production of arms and armament, which are shipped to other countries to kill ourselves. Let us instead export knowledge, machines and products that will benefit mankind and not those that will kill us.”
