By Abdullahi lukman
The Ondo State Government has unveiled plans to establish farm clusters and develop 2,000 hectares of farmland in each of the state’s three senatorial districts to bolster food security and revitalize agribusiness.
The announcement was made by Rotimi Akinsola, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Agriculture and Agribusiness, at the Soilless Farm Lab event in Ogun State.
The initiative, part of the new administration’s executive plan, aims to revolutionize agriculture in Ondo State through private-sector-led management of these farms.
Akinsola emphasized that the senatorial farms would span 2,000 hectares each and be managed by private enterprises to ensure efficiency and sustainability.
In addition to expanding farmland, the project will integrate skills from youths undergoing training at the Soilless Farm Lab under the Mastercard Foundation’s Enterprise for Youth in Agriculture (EYiA) program.
Ten Ondo State candidates are currently participating, and the government plans to sponsor 100 more youths for the next training batch in April.
The initiative’s dual focus is on improving food security and providing youths with modern agricultural skills.
By connecting trained youths with local farmers, the program seeks to boost productivity, promote best practices, and create jobs.
The partnership with the Mastercard Foundation also holds the potential to establish more training facilities in the state, further advancing Ondo’s agricultural sector.
Joy Obodo, an administrator at the Soilless Farm Lab, reported that over 1,000 youths nationwide are currently receiving training in agribusiness.
Beneficiaries of the program, like Miss Blessing Ebahodaghe and Mr. Oluwatobi Oni, expressed their gratitude and commitment to sharing their newfound knowledge with others.