By Faridat Salifu
Ogun State has launched a Multi-Stakeholder Agribusiness Forum (MAF) under the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme.
The initiative, aimed at positioning the state as a leading agribusiness hub in in Southwest Nigeria, is designed to close the persistent gaps between farmers, processors, financiers, and policymakers which, according to stakeholders, have slowed investment and limited processing capacity in the state for years.
Commissioner for Agriculture, Bolu Owotomo, said the new forum would serve as a coordinated platform to attract private-sector players and sustain the state’s agro-industrialization agenda.
He noted that the mechanism is expected to support more efficient value-chain activities and deliver direct benefits to youths and women farmers.
Representing the National Programme Coordinator of SAPZ, Dr. Yusuf Kabir, development expert Abel Ameh said the forum introduces a system for continuous dialogue and problem-solving across the value chain.
He said the structure would help align interventions with real sector needs and strengthen competitiveness.
“This forum is meant to remove the bottlenecks that slow down agribusiness growth. It will enhance transparency, innovation, and shared ownership of the SAPZ process,” Kabir said.
State Programme Coordinator, Kehinde Jokotoye, emphasized the state’s potential to attract both local and foreign investors, citing opportunities in rice, cassava, oil palm, timber, and cocoa processing.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Forestry and MAF facilitator, Dr. Oyesanwen Adekunle, said the convergence of stakeholders under one forum will accelerate progress.
The NSCDC Agro-Rangers Unit, represented by Deputy Commandant Abdulraheem Waheed, said the unit will continue to secure farmlands and tackle farmer–herder conflicts, a major barrier to productivity.
MAF Chairman, Olutayo Olushola, described the forum as an opportunity to deepen public-private partnerships for sustainable agricultural growth.
The SAPZ programme is jointly implemented by the Federal Government, IFAD, and the Ogun State Government.
