The Ogun State Government has supported 10,000 rice and cassava farmers with subsidised farm inputs, mechanised equipment and digital technology under an initiative aimed at increasing food production and improving food security.
Governor Dapo Abiodun announced the package at the 2026 World Food Day celebration in Abeokuta, where he unveiled the distribution of 10 tractors, 1,200 Android phones, fertilisers, herbicides, and improved planting materials.
He explained that 2,000 rice farmers and 8,000 cassava farmers will each receive two bags of fertiliser and one bag of urea, cassava farmers will also receive 25 bundles of cassava stems, rice farmers, three litres of herbicide each, and 10 litres for cassava farmers.
The Governor noted that the 1,200 Android phones come with applications providing weather updates, market prices and guidance on improved farming practices, enabling beneficiaries to make informed production decisions and connect more effectively with agricultural markets.
Abiodun said the interventions were part of his administration’s efforts to make agriculture more productive, profitable and technology-driven, while creating jobs and strengthening Ogun State’s contribution to Nigeria’s food supply.
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The governor explained that his government was also investing in mechanisation, processing, storage and other infrastructure to reduce production costs, minimise post-harvest losses and improve farmers incomes.
He disclosed that his administration had completed 28 agricultural projects in the past two years covering crop production, aquaculture and poultry, and investments in processing facilities and other critical infrastructure.
Abiodun mentioned procurement of 39 tractors, four self-propelled harvesters, and other agricultural equipment to expand mechanised farming.
He said the government established the Ogun State Agricultural Land Management Agency and trained more than 200 young people in soilless farming through a partnership with Soilless Farm Lab.
The Governor stated: “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 highlighted the Ogun State Farmer Information Management System and the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project, under which agribusiness firms had purchased more than 283,000 tonnes of agricultural produce.
Governor Abiodun called on investors to explore opportunities in commercial farming, agro-processing, livestock production, aquaculture, irrigation, mechanisation, storage and cold-chain infrastructure.
He also commended President Bola Tinubu for efforts to strengthen local fertiliser production and improve farmers’ access to agricultural inputs, while acknowledging the contributions of the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, to initiatives supporting women farmers.
Access to Food
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Bolu Owotomo, noted that access to nutritious and affordable food was fundamental to human dignity and sustainable development.
Owotomo explained that the latest support package focused on three areas: digital empowerment through Android phones, mechanisation through agricultural equipment, and subsidised inputs for rice and cassava farmers.
He said beneficiaries would contribute 30 percent of the cost of the inputs, depending on the category, while the government would cover the remaining 70 percent 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’s agricultural potential and proximity to major consumer markets positioned it to play a strategic role in Nigeria’s food system.
He said the state’s 1.2 million hectares of arable land offered significant opportunities for agro-industrial investment, calling for policies that would sustain innovation and strengthen the agricultural value chain, and an integrated transport network linking rail, road, water and air routes.
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 the governor’s support for agriculture and urged beneficiaries to use the equipment and inputs effectively.
Similarly, the South-West Coordinator of the Commodity Farmers Association of Nigeria, Segun Dasaolu, said the interventions were helping to strengthen agricultural development and support farmers across the region.
Speaking for farm settlers across the state, Rotimi Sogunle thanked the government for supporting farming communities and described the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project as a significant intervention in the agricultural sector.
The celebration ended with the symbolic presentation of tractors, agricultural equipment, Android phones, fertilisers, herbicides and other farm inputs to beneficiaries.
