Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, on Tuesday, said his government has walked its talk on agriculture revolution in the state, hence the positive results being witnessed in its agribusiness sector.
Governor Makinde noted that the administration’s commitment to doing agriculture differently led to its creation of the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA) and the subsequent upgrade of the moribund Fasola Farms, Oyo, to Fasola Agribusiness Industrial Hub.
He added that the decision has paid off, with the African Development Bank (AfDB) designating the Hub as the first Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) in Nigeria.
Governor Makinde stated this at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Headquarters, Ibadan, during a welcome address at the Presidential Visit Programme for the President of Sierra Leone, Dr Julius Maada Bio, themed: “The Power of Improved Technologies and Public-Private Partnership to Accelerate the Feed Salone Strategy.”
He charged the Sierra Leonean president to adopt the Oyo State Agribusiness model for his country.
The governor said: “It is my pleasure to welcome you all to the pacesetter state.
“For a fact, when we came into government in 2019, we knew agriculture would be one of the pillars on which the economic transformation of Oyo State would be built.
“We started by creating a strategy document, The Roadmap for Accelerated Development of Oyo State (2019-2023). We have since followed that with The Roadmap for Sustainable Development of Oyo State (2023-2027).
“Before I leave office, I will also produce a document that I will hand over to the incoming administration. It will be The Roadmap for Continuous Development of Oyo State (2027 and beyond). So, we will continue to take steps to modernise our agricultural sector and enhance food security as well as stimulate economic growth.
“About 2020, we signed the OYSADA law and it has been an agency which has served as a special purpose vehicle for agribusiness partnership between the state, the private sector and development organisations. It is a model I will recommend for Sierra Leone.
“About a year later, we started developing the first agribusiness industrial hub, which would serve as a pilot for other developments. I spoke about this earlier; it is the first APZ in Nigeria and we have already kicked-started the next one in Eruwa. We also have another one coming up in Ijaye through collaboration with the French Government.
“Another thing we have done is to leverage the AfCFTA free trade area to expand our agricultural exports to see partnership at both the national and sub-national levels.
“Also, because we know how important having the right skills in agriculture is, we launched our training programme by collaborating with IITA on the Start Them Early Programme in a small school but we have now expanded it to all the senatorial zones of Oyo State.
“Your Excellency, we don’t just talk, we walk the talk and we will continue to do whatever we say we are going to do.”
Explaining that Oyo State has always had a comparative edge in agriculture, which made it beholden to IITA and many other institutions, Governor Makinde maintained that his government has also worked hard to retain that edge, including putting in place road infrastructure that connects all zones of the state, improved security around the state, implementation of investor-friendly policies and support for smallholder farmers.
“The comparative advantage that Oyo State has over all other states in Nigeria is directly related to why IITA is located here. It is a combination of strategic, climatic, historical and logistical factors that make Oyo State an ideal location for agricultural research and innovation.
“Climatically, Oyo State falls into two major agro-ecological zones – the derived savannah and a guinea savannah. Here in Ibadan, where the IITA is located, we have the guinea savannah zone.
“Ibadan also serves as a traditional belt between the forest and the savannah ecosystem. This makes it an excellent testing ground for research on both tropical and semi-arid crops, allowing scientists to develop solutions applicable to diverse agricultural environments across Africa.
“Historically, there has been a synergy between the government and the institutions. As you may already know, Oyo State is the home to the first university in Nigeria – University of Ibadan. The institution has one of the oldest and most respected agriculture faculties in Africa. This strong academic and agricultural research heritage strengthens the Ibadan position as a research hub.”
He promised that his government would continue to work hard to ensure that Oyo State retains its edge, while also ensuring that agriculture plays a bigger role in the economic sustainability of the state.
Earlier, IITA Director General and CGIAR Regional Director for Africa, said the presidential visit was a commitment to agriculture and food security in Nigeria, noting that science alone cannot transform agriculture hence the need for partnership with research institutes.
Ehui called on institutes to support agricultural transformations.
Similarly, the Minister for Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Marcus Ogunbiyi, said Nigeria remains committed to transforming the agriculture sector.
President of Sierra Leone, Dr Bio, in his keynote address, said that research, innovation and technologies would help to drive and transform Africa’s agriculture sector.
Dr. Maada Bio noted that there is a need for a strong partnership and collaboration that would bring about food sufficiency, economic boost as well as positive progress and development for farmers and agribusiness.
He assured of collaboration between the Nigerian and Sierra Leonean Governments to tackle challenges in food production and other agriculture-related problems.
On the entourage of the Sierra Leonean President were, Minister of Agriculture, Dr Henry Musa Kpaka; Minister of Finance, Hon. Sheku Ahmed Bangura; World Bank Country Manager, Sierra Leone, Mr Abdu Muwonge; members of Diplomatic Corps and Country Directors, among others.
Those in the entourage of Governor Makinde included the Chief of Staff, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi; Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Barr. Olasunkanmi Olaleye; Senior Executive Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties, Chief Bayo Lawal; and Director General of the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency, Dr Debo Akande, among other dignitaries.
