Ondo state, situated in south west of Nigeria, is endowed with favourable ecological and climatological conditions to support cultivation of large variety of crops. The rich forest topography hosts various wide life species and it has a fairly large population life (3.4 million according to 2006 census) out of the farmers or derived their live hood from farming related activities.

With the dwindling oil revenue witnessed in Nigeria, it has become imperative to make strategic development in the critical sectors of agriculture and natural resources

Provide employment for our teeming youths and women that are largely unemployed
Generate revenue for government to enable it meet its social-economic obligations
Provide raw materials for our agro-based industries
Generate foreign exchange for the country and
Guarantee food security to the citizenry


The Ondo state Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN, is among the few governors in Nigeria who has given agriculture a priority. With due attention given to the sector within the limited resources generated in Ondo State. Governor Akeredolu has not failed in the payment of Counterpart Funds for any external funded Agricultural project that will benefit the people of Ondo State. For instance, the FADAMA III Additional Financing Project, Ondo State Government has paid up to 2018. In the year 2017, Counterpart Fund of one hundred and seventy-five million naira (N175 million) was paid and ninety-three million naira (N93 million) was also paid in 2018. The outcome of this, is the benefits accruable to the farmers, the traders, and every citizen in the State, which the people have considered as been wonderful.



In a bid to upgrade agriculture into Agro business ventures, the Ondo state government has continued to encouraged the youths to go into Agriculture as a way to strengthened the Ministry of Agriculture and the State's Agricultural Development Project (ADP). This has been the continuous exercise since Agricultural sector is a dynamic threat to unemployment.



In addition to this, the Ondo Government reviewed the mandates of one of her Agricultural Agencies and renamed it "Ondo State Agri-business and Empowerment Centre (OSAEC)" to specially focus on youths in the state.

• Established a two thousand (2,000) hectares Cocoa Plantation at ljugbere, Owo which will eventually be apportioned to youths at four (4) hectares per youth for ownership and maintenance. The clearing and planting are being done in phases.

• To create self-sustaining jobs for the youth through intervention schemes.

• The Ondo state Government commenced an E- extension service provision to all actors along the value chains of agricultural commodities in the State by partnering with GLO GSM Service Provider for telephone services.


• The Government has rehabilitated the 1,744 hectares Oda road Estate and shared it to youths for proper management. The management is under the strict supervision of Ondo State Government. Premium cocoa beans are being produced from the estate in preparation for the production of chocolates.

• The establishment of Sunshine Cocoa Factory at Alade-ldanre. The factory has been erected and the equipment installed. The running is being advertised for enhanced management under a Public Private Partnership arrangement (PPP).


• The Government has also put into operation the long-abandoned semi mechanized abattoir established in Akure to process beef for the citizens of Ondo State. The Government also trained 6,000 youths on Entrepreneurship Development, in collaboration with, National Directorate of Employment (NDE) under her "Youth-On-the-Ridges" Programme and at the various Agro business Cities at Isuada, Ore and Idoani in Ondo State.


• The Ondo state Government similarly engaged and empowered youths in various farming activities viz: 270 youths on Cocoa Production, 876 Bee keeping (Apiculture), 30 women trained in Sericulture (Cloth weaving using improved Indian Loom), 137 people in Snail Rearing, 300 graduate who are farmers under the Graduate Unemployed Youth Scheme (GUYS) had received training and starter pack of & 1.5m each.



The Ondo state Government also collaborated with a private firm to empower 100 farmers each with minimum of 2,000 broilers, feeds, drug and vaccines under her "Igba Otun broiler scheme" empowered, through National Egg Production (NEGRO) Scheme, 2,000 layers given to 37 farmers each with drugs, feeds and vaccines; established three (3) Agricultural Equipment Hiring Enterprises (AEHE) Centres across the three Senatorial Districts of the State in collaboration with some private service providers to make tractors available to farmers.


The Ondo state government through her partnership with a Chinese Firm, Win -Win Textile Company has established a textile industry at the State Industrial Pack, Ore. The company has commenced production of various types of embroidery and polyester threads in full swing. Clothing materials of Ankara and Lace brands will come up with the second phase of the project. This will definitely lead to increase in the production of cotton in the State over time.


The Government has also commenced the establishment and Erection of structures and equipment installation) of an Egg Powder Production Industry at Emure-ile. The company has commenced operation. Another initiative of Government is the partnership with another Chinese Firm to establish an Ethanol Factory at the Ore Industrial Pack. The factory has since commenced production.


Similarly, the Ondo state Government has reviewed and concluded arrangements with the Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) to establish another Ethanol Factory at Okeluse in the State, which has commenced production this year. Distribution of 450,000 hybrid cocoa seedlings and 20,000 cashew seedlings of improved varieties, were given freely to farmers during the year 2018 farming season and it was a huge success for the farmers in the state.


Over a million hybrid cocoa seedlings being raised are being distributed freely to farmers in Ondo state in the year 2019.


The Ondo state Government has achieved the registration of illegal farmers in the forest reserves of the State who have been using some portion of the forest in the state for planting of cocoa and plantain and the re-classification of the land as farm lands.


However, the Ondo state Government has facilitated the production of Golden Sun Rice, a table rice being produced in close collaboration with cluster farmer's group at Uso, Ogbese, etc., and processor's group at Alayere near Owo with the assistance of FADAMA III AF. In line with achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) which Nigeria in general and Ondo State Government specifically is committed to.


the Government is partnering with Donor Agencies and Development Partners bring into the State, life transforming projects/programmes. One of such projects is the Livelihood Improvement in Family Enterprise (LIFE) Project which has commenced this year. The project is being jointly funded by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Federal Government of Nigeria and the nine NDDC States.

The process of recruiting the project officers has commenced as the State Government is ready to pay the projects.


The giant strides of Ondo state Government are quite overwhelming


PRINCESS EIGBOKHAN ORIH
FOR TCC NEWS