The Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin, Kwara State, has kicked off its Village Alive Development Initiative (VADI) aimed at promoting agricultural businesses which are beneficial to individuals and communities.

At the event which held at Omomere Oja in Ilorin South Local Government, and Amayo in Ifelodun Local Government Areas, in Kwara State, ARMTI’s Acting Executive Director Mr Johnson Njoku said the initiative was part of efforts to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which would increase the capacities of rural dwellers to explore available agricultural resources and technologies to satisfy the demands of the growing population for food and other agricultural commodities.

To this end, he said priority must be given to maintaining and improving the capacity of agricultural lands to support an expanding population.

Speaking further, he said the main tools of VADI are income diversification and improved management of inputs. Its success, he added, would depend largely on the support and participation of rural people. Njoku said that under the VADI programme, loans given to each community would be repaid to their respective co-operatives. He expressed happiness that the intervention of the agency in turning around the fortunes of the local farmers had been yielding fruitful results.

The Governor of Kwara State represented by his special assistant on agriculture, Mr Anu Ibiwoye, applauded the effort of the Federal Government through ARMTI saying the programme tallues with the plans of the state government in boosting small holder farms in the state.