By Banji Ayoola
Ondo State Government has activated a plan to transform its economy through the fabulous export potential of the wealth of tremendous natural resources, particularly agricultural products, with which the state is endowed.
The pivot of the activated plan is the concerted effort to attract investors in cocoa and cassava processing, fisheries, aquaculture, livestock, storage, logistics, renewable energy, agricultural technology and export infrastructure.
Indeed, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa said the movement is already on a fast plane to transform the agricultural potential of the ‘sunshine state’ into a viable investment and export economy very soon.
Being implemented across the state’s 203 political wards, the initiative aims at identifying the specific agricultural strengths of each community and directing government support, infrastructure, technology, finance and other interventions towards areas with the greatest production potential.
The governor disclosed this at the FirstBank Agric and Export Expo 2026, held at Eko Hotel, Lagos, with the theme, “From Farm to Global Markets: Building Nigeria’s Export Value Chain.”
He assured credible investors of his administration’s readiness to facilitate productive investments and provide the necessary conditions for businesses to thrive in the state.
However, he cautioned against investors whose interest is limited to acquiring land or purchasing agricultural commodities without contributing to the development of the state’s value chains.
His words, “We do not simply want investors who will come and acquire our land and leave it for many years without utilising it. We do not want investors who will come and purchase our commodities only.”
He said Ondo State requires businesses that would create jobs, introduce technology, build skills, support farmers and ensure that greater value is retained within the state.
According to him, “Our mission is straightforward. The work we produce in Ondo State should be increasingly processed in Ondo State, create jobs in Ondo State and compete confidently in markets across Nigeria and around the world.”
He urged the youths to begin to view agriculture beyond primary production, stressing that cocoa, for instance, offers opportunities in chocolate production, beverages, cosmetics, processing, logistics and exports.
Also, he identified cassava as a commodity capable of supporting businesses in starch, flour, industrial materials and bio-based industries.
Aiyedatiwa said government, farmers, the private sector, financial institutions and development partners must work together to transform agriculture from subsistence to enterprise, production to processing and the farm gate to global markets.
He stressed the need to develop agriculture at the community level, noting that his administration’s 203-Ward Agricultural Programme was designed to identify what each community produces, its farmers, cooperatives and production clusters, as well as available infrastructure and required interventions.
“Agriculture happens in communities, not in government offices and not in banking offices either,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa explained that cocoa-producing communities had needs different from those of fishing, cassava, oil palm and livestock-producing areas, adding that the ward-based approach would enable government to respond to such peculiarities rather than impose a uniform agricultural policy.
He said the administration was also complementing the programme with communal and cluster farming, noting that fragmented farming had continued to constrain mechanisation, extension services and the attraction of serious investors.
According to him, larger production clusters would make it easier for farmers to access technology, inputs, machinery, finance, aggregation and processing infrastructure.
The governor said Ondo had comparative advantages in cocoa, oil palm, cassava, fisheries, aquaculture, livestock and other agricultural commodities, but noted that comparative advantage alone could not translate into prosperity without converting it into competitive advantage through complete value chains.
He said the administration was consequently moving beyond primary production to focus on quality inputs, aggregation, processing, storage, logistics, traceability, standards, financing and access to domestic and international markets.
Aiyedatiwa disclosed that more than two million cocoa seedlings had been distributed in the state this year, alongside livestock prevention programmes and other agricultural interventions.
Describing agriculture as business, industry, employment and an avenue for exports, the governor said increased production must be supported with the necessary infrastructure.
He said the state had constructed or rehabilitated hundreds of kilometres of rural roads through the Rural Access and Marketing Programme (RAMP), connecting rural communities and production areas while facilitating the movement of agricultural produce.
He also identified electricity, water, storage facilities and access to markets as critical requirements for reducing post-harvest losses and connecting farmers with buyers.
On insecurity, Aiyedatiwa described it as a major challenge to agricultural expansion, saying his administration was mobilising home-grown security outfits while collaborating with conventional security agencies to protect farmers and their farms.
He said deliberate measures were also being taken to improve access to land for agricultural production and investment while safeguarding the interests of host communities.
On emerging global standards, particularly in the cocoa industry, the governor disclosed that the state had inaugurated a State Strategic Committee on Compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), comprising farmers, exporters, processors and other stakeholders in the cocoa value chain.
He said mapping was being undertaken to establish the origin of produce from farms and ensure compliance with international market requirements.
“The goal is clear. Farmers must not lose access to premium international markets because global standards have changed,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa urged investors to concentrate on processing and value addition, rather than merely acquiring land or purchasing agricultural commodities.
In his goodwill message, the Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umar Bago, urged states and participants at the expo to embrace new farming methods, noting that substantial wealth could be created through agribusiness.
Also speaking, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ruth Olusanya, said agriculture must be treated as an engine of economic growth, industrialisation, job creation and export earnings.
Sanwo-Olu maintained that Nigeria must move from exporting raw materials to exporting value-added products, citing cassava derivatives and processed cocoa products as areas with significant potential.
In his welcome address, the Managing Director of FirstBank Nigeria, Olusegun Alebiosu, said the expo had evolved from an awareness and engagement initiative into an ecosystem connecting producers, processors, exporters, financiers, policymakers and investors across the agricultural and non-oil export value chains.
Alebiosu said agriculture and exports remained crucial to economic diversification and sustainable growth, assuring that FirstBank, with more than 130 years of contribution to Nigeria’s development, remained committed to supporting businesses in the sectors.
He said the 2026 edition represented a shift from conversation to execution through partnerships, financing, market access and knowledge exchange.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Sunbeth Global Concept, Sukunmi Owoyemi, urged youths interested in agriculture to acquire practical business experience before venturing into the sector.
Owoyemi said the summit had provided stakeholders with greater insight into agribusiness and the challenges confronting the sector.
He identified financing, policy gaps and deficiencies in education as some of the factors inhibiting agricultural development, stressing the need for continuous capacity building and practical knowledge to equip young people for successful participation in agribusiness.
