Ogun State Government has distributed 10 tractors, 1,200 Android phones and subsidised agricultural inputs to support 10,000 rice and cassava farmers as part of efforts to boost food production and strengthen food security.
The intervention was unveiled by Governor Dapo Abiodun at the 2026 World Food Day celebration held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, on Friday, with the theme, “Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow.”
Under the initiative, 2,000 rice farmers and 8,000 cassava farmers will receive fertilisers, urea and other farm inputs to improve productivity and reduce the cost of agricultural production.
Each beneficiary will receive two bags of fertiliser and one bag of urea, while rice farmers will receive three litres of herbicides each. Cassava farmers will also receive 25 bundles of cassava stems and 10 litres of herbicides each.
The 1,200 Android phones, equipped with applications providing weather information, market prices and guidance on best agricultural practices, are expected to improve farmers’ access to timely information and help them make informed production and marketing decisions.
The 10 tractors and other agricultural equipment will support farm settlements and farmers’ associations across the state, reinforcing the government’s efforts 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 the state’s contribution to national food security.
He disclosed that the government had established the Ogun State Agricultural Land Management Agency (OSALMA) to facilitate access to land and promote responsible and inclusive agricultural investments.
According to him, the administration 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.
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, he added, had the capacity to process 5,000 birds daily, equivalent to approximately 1.3 million birds annually.
The governor further disclosed 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 said 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 government’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.
Abiodun urged investors to explore 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 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.
According to him, the platform was designed to support evidence-based policymaking, improve the targeting of agricultural interventions and ensure that government assistance reached intended beneficiaries.
The governor said agribusiness firms purchased more than 283,000 tonnes of agricultural produce under the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP).
He added that farmers organised into clusters had received capacity-building support and connections to off-takers to help translate increased production into sustainable income.
Abiodun commended President Bola 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.
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.
Owotomo said innovation was essential to building a resilient food system, calling for greater investment in women and young people through improved access to land, finance, training, technology and viable agribusiness opportunities.
He disclosed that more than 12,000 farmers had benefited from training and agricultural inputs under OGSTEP.
According to the commissioner, the latest intervention focused on digital empowerment through Android phones, mechanisation support through agricultural equipment, and subsidised inputs for 2,000 rice farmers and 8,000 cassava farmers.
He explained that beneficiaries would contribute 30 per cent of the cost of the inputs, depending on the category, while the government would cover 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 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.
Adebayo called for an integrated transportation network linking rail, road, water and air transport to facilitate the 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 agriculture 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 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 celebration featured the symbolic presentation of tractors, agricultural equipment, Android phones, fertilisers, herbicides and other farm inputs to beneficiaries.
