Ekiti set to revive Irele 2,459 hectares livestock project
By Ayodele Alao
The Ekiti State Government is set to revive the livestock project at Irele Ekiti located in Ekiti North Local Government area.
Irohinoodua learnt that following an expression of interest to take over the long abandoned 2,450 hectares Irele Ekiti Grazing Reserve in Ikole Local Government Area of the state and the subsequent establishment of Ekitikete Livestock Development Company Limited by a group of Ekiti state indigenes in the Diaspora.
The interim head of the corporate entity Engr. Ranti Omole was in Ado Ekiti to meet with officials of the state Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security on a fact finding mission.
Our correspondent heard that Mr. Omole, who was accompanied by the Senior Special Assistant (Diaspora Affairs) to Ekiti State Governor Mr. Femi Odere, met with the permanent secretary of the ministry Mr. Odesanmi and some directors for a briefing about the grazing reserve. While Mr. Omole reiterated the desire of his group to make the reserve a cattle ranch of international standard with an initial investment of N250 million, Mr. Odesanmi and his directors gave a comprehensive briefing of the state of the reserve. In his remarks, Mr. Omole said it is high time Ekiti indigenes in the Diaspora “take ownership of the economic development of the state not only because of the tremendous human capital development at our disposal all over the world but also the fact that nobody will develop our state for us except us.”
On Tuesday, Mr. Omole with the SSA on Diaspora Affairs Femi Odere and accompanied by the directors from the ministry went to the reserve in Irele-Ekiti for further assessment. Mr. Omole said the group is ready to “kick into gear” once the deal with the government is concluded.