The federal government has projected Agbeyewa Farms in Ekiti State as a model for Nigeria’s mechanised agricultural transformation and productivity.
The government described the indigenous agribusiness company as a clear demonstration of how strategic partnerships between government and the private sector can unlock the country’s vast agricultural potential and position it as a global food production hub.
The endorsement came during a working visit by the Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), Engr. Cornelius Adebayo, who inspected the company’s large-scale cassava operations at Ipao-Ekiti after touring the Renewed Hope Mega Farm Estate in Irele-Ekiti, both in the Ikole Local Government Area.
Adebayo said Agbeyewa Farms represents the type of private sector investment the Federal Government is promoting to drive food security, create jobs and stimulate rural economic development across the country.
He said the scale, professionalism and vision demonstrated by the company had convinced him that Nigeria possesses the capacity to become a global leader in commercial agriculture if government continues to create an enabling environment for serious investors.
According to him, Agbeyewa has become a benchmark for agricultural excellence and a practical example of what can be achieved through effective collaboration between public institutions and private investors.
He said, “I used to cite foreign farms as examples of what Nigeria could achieve, but when I came to Agbeyewa and saw serious-minded people doing something remarkable, I changed my perspective. These are the kinds of companies government should partner with.”
He recalled describing Agbeyewa during an earlier visit as the largest cassava farm in Nigeria and expressed optimism that, with the pace of its expansion, the company is on course to becoming the largest cassava farm in the world.
The NALDA boss stressed that agriculture should be approached as a profitable business rather than merely as a government intervention programme, noting that the responsibility of government is to provide the infrastructure and policy support that will enable private enterprises to flourish.
He explained that NALDA’s joint venture partnership with Agbeyewa, covering 5,000 hectares of farmland, underscores the federal government’s commitment to expanding commercial agriculture through strategic investment partnerships.
“Our aim is to add another 5,000 hectares to Agbeyewa’s cultivated land. Government’s role is to make business easier for the private sector to excel. Together, we are building something that will make Nigeria proud, Africa proud and become a global reference point,” he stated.
Adebayo also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing the leadership and policy direction needed to stimulate investment in agriculture and other productive sectors of the economy.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of Agbeyewa Farms, Mr. Seyi Aiyeleso, thanked NALDA for fulfilling its commitments under the partnership, noting that the Authority’s intervention had accelerated the company’s expansion programme.
He disclosed that shortly after discussions with the NALDA Executive Secretary, the Authority deployed 12 bulldozers to support land preparation, describing the gesture as evidence of the agency’s commitment to practical collaboration with private agricultural investors.
“We have seen the impact of NALDA’s support. This partnership has shown that NALDA is ready to collaborate effectively with private agricultural companies to feed the nation. We deeply appreciate the Executive Secretary for keeping his promises and for standing with us,” he said.
Aiyeleso reaffirmed Agbeyewa Farms’ commitment to working with NALDA and other stakeholders to advance Nigeria’s food security agenda, expand commercial cassava production and contribute to national economic growth.
Photo:
L-R: General Manager (Ipao Farm Estate), Agbeyewa Farms, Dr. Saturday Idogen; Vice President (Operations), Agbeyewa Farms, Anthonia Attoh; MD/CEO, Agbeyewa Farms, Seyi Oska Aiyeleso; the Executive Secretary, National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), Engr. Cornelius Oluwasegun Adebayo; Director of Community Engagement, Agbeyewa Farms, Alhaji Dauda Lawal; Cletus Ebebudike Ugochukwu, Director of Farm Operations, Agbeyewa Farms; and Operations Manager, Agbeyewa Farms, Quadri Awosanya; during a benchmarking visit of the NALDA Team to Agbeyewa Farms in Ipao-Ekiti recently.
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