By Faridat Salifu
Oyo State is transforming its agribusiness sector to a rural economic engine by combining industrial expansion, women’s participation, and strategic infrastructure.
Debo Akande, Director-General of the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA), said the state’s approach goes beyond roads, aiming to connect farmers directly to processing hubs and markets.
“We are creating systems where raw produce becomes value-added products within communities, reducing losses and increasing incomes,” he said.
Key to this transformation is gender inclusion. Of 16 medium-scale processing factories established between 2019 and 2025, five are women-owned.
At the Fashola Agribusiness Hub alone, two factories and a cashew farm are operated by women, who also participate in training programmes supported by the French government under the WATEA initiative.
The state has complemented industrial growth with infrastructure, constructing 1,200 kilometres of feeder roads and major inter-community routes to link rural farmers to processing centres and industrial clusters.
Aggregation centres have also been set up to temporarily store produce, minimizing spoilage.
“Economic empowerment of women has a direct impact on rural development. Our goal is to make farming communities economically self-sufficient,” Mr Akande said.
By focusing on local processing and industrial participation, Oyo is attracting investment while creating employment and stabilizing rural incomes.
Oyo State’s strategy reflects a shift from traditional agriculture to an integrated agribusiness ecosystem, where infrastructure, gender inclusion, and industrial growth work together to strengthen food security and rural prosperity.
