? Ekiti State indigenes have been urged to go into rice farming in order to create jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the state and equally boost food production in the country.
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? The minister of trade and investments, Dr. Segun Aganga, gave the advice yesterday, in? Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, pointing out that as Nigeria is set to stop importation of? rice in the next 3 years, the youths in the State should avail themselves of the opportunity.
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? Aganga, while giving his goodwill message at the closing ceremony of? the Ekiti First Economic and Development Summit said that, he used to? know Ekiti people as good rice farmers as notable towns like Erio, Igbemo and Okemesi plant rice in commercial quantity.
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? He said, that the Federal Government, in partnership with eminent Nigerians has set aside the sum of N10 billion with the Bank of industry (BOI) for industrial drive in the country.
?? According to the minister,? the amount was earmarked for the development of Small and Micro-medium businesses in Nigeria.
“We are not going to give money to Nigerians just for skills’ acquisition, but we will teach them how to work hard and raise a? bankable investment that can propel the Small and Micro –medium enterprises.”
He added that the Federal Government would work with the Lagos Business School to train Nigerians on how to raise bankable investments for them to have? easy access to fund in financial institutions.
Earlier, governor Fayemi had assured the? intending investors in Ekiti of about 5 to 10 years tax holiday as a way of attracting them to the State.
We want to reduce the burden of those who want to invest in thestate, those with viable business plans will not get money directly from the government but the fountain investment holdings will source for funds for them.”