Ondo gov’t targeting 203 wards for Agric revolution — Aiyedatiwa

As part of efforts to boost agricultural production across Ondo State, Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa has said his administration is taking interventions to the state’s 203 political wards based on their specific agricultural needs and production capacity.

Governor Aiyedatiwa disclosed this on Wednesday at the FirstBank Agric and Export Expo 2026 at Eko Hotel, Lagos, with the theme, “From Farm to Global Markets: Building Nigeria’s Export Value Chain”.

He said agriculture must be developed at the community level, noting that the administration’s 203-Ward Agricultural Programme was designed to identify what each location produced, its farmers, cooperatives and clusters, available infrastructure and required interventions.

“Agriculture happens in communities, not in government offices and not in banking offices either,” he said.

The governor said cocoa-producing communities had different needs from fishing, cassava, oil palm and livestock-producing areas, stressing that the ward-based approach would enable the government to address those differences rather than apply a uniform policy.

He said the administration is complementing the programme with communal and cluster farming, noting that fragmented farming hindered mechanisation, extension services and the attraction of serious investors.

According to him, wider production clusters would facilitate access to technology, inputs, machinery, finance, aggregation and processing infrastructure.

Governor Aiyedatiwa said Ondo has comparative advantages in cocoa, oil palm, cassava, fisheries, aquaculture, livestock and other agricultural commodities, but stressed that comparative advantage alone would not create prosperity without converting it into competitive advantage through complete value chains.

He said the administration is therefore moving beyond primary production to quality inputs, aggregation, processing, storage, logistics, traceability, standards, financing and access to domestic and international markets.

The governor said more than two million cocoa seedlings had been distributed this year, alongside livestock prevention and other agricultural programmes.

Describing agriculture as business, industry, employment and an avenue for exports, he said increased production must be backed by infrastructure.

He said the state had constructed or rehabilitated hundreds of kilometres of rural roads through the Rural Access and Marketing Programme (RAMP), connecting rural communities and production areas and improving the movement of agricultural produce.

Governor Aiyedatiwa also identified power, water, storage and markets as necessary to reduce post-harvest losses and connect farmers with buyers.

He described insecurity as a major challenge to agricultural expansion, saying the government was mobilising home-grown security outfits and collaborating with other security agencies to protect farmers and their farms.

On land, the governor said deliberate steps are being taken to improve access for agricultural production and investment while protecting communities.

He said the government is seeking ways to enable smallholder farmers and major investors to operate side-by-side because agriculture remained a means of livelihood for communities.

On changing global standards, particularly in cocoa, the governor disclosed that the state had inaugurated a State Strategic Committee on Compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), comprising farmers, exporters, processors and other stakeholders in the cocoa value chain.

He said mapping is being undertaken to establish the origin of produce from farms and ensure compliance with international market requirements.

“The goal is clear. Farmers must not lose access to premium international markets because global standards have changed,” he said.

Governor Aiyedatiwa urged investors to focus on processing and value addition rather than merely acquiring land or purchasing agricultural commodities.

He said the state seeks investors in cocoa and cassava processing, fisheries, aquaculture, livestock, storage, logistics, renewable energy, agricultural technology and export infrastructure.

“We do not simply want investors who will come and acquire our land and leave it for many years without utilising it. We do not want investors who will come and purchase our commodities only,” he said.

He said the state wants businesses that would create jobs, introduce technology, build skills, support farmers and retain greater value within Ondo.

“Our mission is straightforward. The work we produce in Ondo State should be increasingly processed in Ondo State, create jobs in Ondo State and compete confidently in markets across Nigeria and around the world,” he said.

The governor said young people should see agriculture beyond primary production, noting that cocoa offered opportunities in chocolate, beverages, cosmetics, processing, logistics and exports, while cassava could generate businesses in starch, flour, industrial materials and bio-based industries.

He added that government, farmers, the private sector, financial institutions and development partners must work together to move agriculture from subsistence to enterprise, production to processing and the farm gate to global markets.

He assured credible investors that Ondo is ready to facilitate productive investments and provide the conditions required for businesses to succeed.

In his goodwill message, the Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umar Bago, urged states and participants to embrace new methods of farming, noting that fortune could be made from agribusiness.

Also speaking, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms Ruth Olusanya, said agriculture must be treated as an engine of economic growth, industrialisation, job creation and export earnings.

Sanwo-Olu said Nigeria must export value rather than raw materials, citing cassava derivatives and processed cocoa products.

In his welcome address, the Managing Director of FirstBank Nigeria, Olusegun Alebiosu, said the expo had evolved from an awareness and engagement initiative into an ecosystem connecting producers, processors, exporters, financiers, policymakers and investors across the agricultural and non-oil export value chains.

Alebiosu said agriculture and exports remain crucial to economic diversification and sustainable growth, assuring that FirstBank, with over 130 years of contribution to Nigeria’s development, remained committed to supporting businesses in the sectors.

He said the 2026 edition represents a shift from conversation to execution through partnerships, financing, market access and knowledge exchange.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of Sunbeth Global Concept, Sukunmi Owoyemi, urged youths interested in agriculture to acquire practical business experience before venturing into the sector.

Owoyemi said the summit had enlightened stakeholders on agribusiness and challenges affecting its growth.

He identified financing, policies and educational gaps as some of the factors inhibiting the sector, stressing the need for continuous engagement among stakeholders to develop solutions.