James Sowole in Abeokuta
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has unveiled a comprehensive support package for 10,000 rice and cassava farmers, including subsidised fertilisers, herbicides and improved planting materials, alongside the distribution of 10 tractors, other agricultural equipment and 1,200 Android phones to boost food production and strengthen food security.
Abiodun announced the interventions yesterday at the 2026 World Food Day celebration held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, with the theme, ‘Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow’.
Under the initiative, 2,000 rice farmers will receive two bags of fertiliser and one bag of urea each, while 8,000 cassava farmers will receive the same quantities of fertiliser and urea, alongside 25 bundles of cassava stems each.
The government will also provide three litres of herbicides to each beneficiary rice farmer and 10 litres to each cassava farmer.
The 1,200 Android phones, equipped with applications providing weather information, market prices and guidance on best agricultural practices, are designed to give farmers access to timely information, improve production decisions and strengthen their links to agricultural markets.
The 10 tractors and other equipment are being provided to support farm settlements and farmers’ associations across the state, reinforcing the administration’s drive to expand mechanised farming, reduce production costs and increase agricultural output.
Abiodun said his administration was committed to transforming agriculture into a profitable, technology-driven sector capable of creating jobs, attracting investment and strengthening Ogun State’s contribution to national food security.
“We established the Ogun State Agricultural Land Management Agency (OSALMA) to facilitate access to land and promote a responsible and inclusive framework for land-intensive agricultural investment,” he said.
The governor disclosed that his administration had completed 28 agricultural projects in the last two years across crop production, aquaculture and poultry, with investments in processing, storage, mechanisation and other critical infrastructure aimed at strengthening the agricultural value chain.
Among the projects, he said, were solar dryers, warehouses, cassava processing centres and a poultry processing plant at Ajegunle Farm Settlement in Odeda Local Government Area. The poultry facility has the capacity to process 5,000 birds daily, equivalent to approximately 1.3 million birds annually.
He added that the state had procured 39 tractors, four self-propelled harvesters and other agricultural equipment to improve mechanisation and reduce the burden of manual farming.
On youth empowerment, Abiodun disclosed that more than 200 young people had recently received training in soilless farming through a partnership with Soilless Farm Lab, with start-up support provided to help beneficiaries establish their own agricultural enterprises.
He said the administration’s objective was to expand local processing, retain greater value within the state’s economy and create employment opportunities across the agricultural value chain.
“Our goal is to process more locally, retain greater value and create more jobs. We seek partnerships that create jobs, transfer knowledge, empower farmers and develop local capacity,” he said.
The governor called on investors to take advantage of opportunities in commercial farming, agro-processing, livestock production, aquaculture, mechanisation, irrigation, storage and cold-chain facilities, assuring them of the state’s readiness to support responsible agricultural investments.
He said the administration was working towards an agricultural economy in which farming was profitable, agribusinesses thrived and rural communities prospered.
Abiodun also highlighted the Ogun State Farmer Information Management System, launched in April 2023, which has captured more than 160,000 farmers and agricultural value-chain actors.
He explained that the platform was designed to support evidence-based policymaking, improve the targeting of agricultural interventions and ensure that government assistance reached intended beneficiaries.
“Under the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP), agribusiness firms purchased over 283,000 tonnes of agricultural produce.
“Farmers organised into clusters also received capacity-building support and connections to off-takers. These measures have helped turn increased production into dependable income,” he said.
The governor commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for efforts to strengthen local fertiliser production and improve farmers’ access to essential agricultural inputs. He also acknowledged the contributions of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to initiatives supporting women farmers.
He said the Ogun State Government would continue to complement federal agricultural initiatives through targeted support for farmers, responsible investment and stronger market linkages.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Bolu Owotomo, described World Food Day as a reminder that access to nutritious and affordable food was fundamental to human dignity and sustainable development.
He said innovation was essential to building a resilient food system and called for greater investment in women and young people through improved access to land, finance, training, technology and viable agribusiness opportunities.
Owotomo disclosed that more than 12,000 farmers had benefited from training and agricultural inputs under OGSTEP.
He said the latest interventions focused on three areas: digital empowerment through the distribution of Android phones; mechanisation support through agricultural equipment; and subsidised inputs for 2,000 rice farmers and 8,000 cassava farmers.
According to him, the input support operates under an arrangement in which beneficiaries contribute 30 per cent of the cost, depending on the category, while the government covers the remaining 70 per cent through its partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
In his keynote address, a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Professor Kolawole Adebayo, said Ogun State occupied a strategic position in the future of Nigeria’s food system because of its agricultural potential and proximity to major consumer markets.
He noted that the state’s 1.2 million hectares of arable land offered significant opportunities for agro-industrial investment, stressing the need for forward-looking policies and sustained commitment to innovations that would deliver lasting benefits to the food system.
Adebayo called for an integrated transportation network linking rail, road, water and air transport to facilitate the efficient movement of agricultural produce, preserve quality and reduce post-harvest losses.
He commended the state government for developing agro-industrial processing zones, improving land-clearing services for smallholder farmers and expanding access to agricultural inputs.
He also identified the Farmer Information Management System and the establishment of the Nigerian Food Bank in Ogun State as initiatives that could strengthen the state’s contribution to national food security.
The National Programme Coordinator of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones Programme, Dr Kabiru Yusuf, represented by the National Agriculture Expert, Dr Louis Enaberue, commended Abiodun for his support for the agricultural sector and urged beneficiaries to make effective use of the equipment and farm inputs.
Similarly, the South-west Coordinator of the Commodity Farmers Association of Nigeria, Prince Segun Dasaolu, acknowledged the state government’s interventions, saying they were helping to strengthen agricultural development and support farmers across the region.
Speaking on behalf of farm settlers across the state, Rotimi Sogunle thanked the governor for supporting farming communities and described OGSTEP as a significant intervention in the state’s agricultural sector.
The highlight of the celebration was the symbolic presentation of tractors, agricultural equipment, Android phones, fertilisers, herbicides and other farm inputs to beneficiaries.