Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to expanding large-scale farming to enhance food security and bolster the state’s economy.
Speaking during his New Year statewide broadcast on Wednesday, titled “Year of Accelerated Development,” Oyebanji outlined key initiatives to advance agriculture and other critical sectors in 2025.
Oyebanji highlighted the strategic importance of agriculture, which contributes about 80% to Ekiti’s GDP. He emphasised his administration’s determination to address challenges such as poor yields, access to credit, and land clearing while supporting farmers with subsidised resources.
“As Government, we understand the socioeconomic importance of agriculture to the total economic profile of our State. Agriculture remains the mainstay of our economy contributing about 80% to our GDP. We are addressing critical challenges associated with poor yield, access to credit, land clearing, among others. We will continue to supply farmers with high-yield seedlings, fertiliser, and other necessities at subsidised rates,” Oyebanji said.
He added, “In this year, our budget plans already indicate that we are devoting more resources to agriculture and food security. We will open more lands for large-scale farming in the new year.”
The governor praised the progress made in youth-focused agricultural initiatives, including the Erifun Livestock Hub and the “Bring-Back-the-Youths to Agriculture” programme in locations such as Oke-Ako, Iyemero, Ise, Aramoko/Erio/Eporo/Emure, Ado, and Gede.
“This is in addition to the efforts of private sector players like YSJ, Agbeyewa, FMS, Promise Point, MAO Organic, JMK, and other investors in the Agric Value Chains. The massive land clearing in those locations has tremendously reduced criminal activities in the State,” he noted.
He also unveiled plans for additional land clearing, tractorisation of farmland, construction of farm markets, abattoirs, dormitories, and provision of farm inputs to trigger economic activities.
“We will also leverage the Livestock Productivity Resilience Support (L-PRES) project of the World Bank to empower livestock farmers to optimize their productivity and profitability,” Oyebanji added.
To stabilise production costs and market prices, Oyebanji revealed the establishment of the Ilu-Eye Trading Company. The company will engage in “off-taking buying” during surplus production periods, ensuring fair price recovery for farmers and price stability for consumers.
Governor Oyebanji also highlighted significant progress in providing potable water across the state. Through the World Bank-assisted Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (SURWASH) programme, the state has rehabilitated hundreds of boreholes in rural areas and plans to cover more locations in 2025.
“While a significant mileage has been attained already, there is still a lot to be done to ensure the dividend of the investment in water assets gets to our people,” he stated.
“Our objective is to ensure our people must have access to clean and hygienic water for their daily use,” Oyebanji concluded.
The governor’s ambitious plans aim to create a thriving agricultural sector, empower youth, ensure fair pricing, and improve water access, setting the stage for a year of accelerated development in Ekiti State.
