Fashola Agribusiness Industrial Hub, the first of the integrated agribusiness industrial hubs that the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, approved for the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA) to build across the state, is in the spotlight with the recent high-profile visit of the President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, to the state.
The presidential visit underscores the importance of agriculture and food security not only to Nigeria but also around the world.
Fashola Farms, located on 1,250 hectares of land in Oyo West Local Government in Oyo State, was originally established in 1946 by the British colonialists because of the vast potential the area has for the agricultural sector, especially livestock and poultry.
It was further developed under the old western region dairy farming during the era of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Fashola livestock farm was known all over Nigeria and beyond as a center of excellence for livestock research, breeding, and production.
The Seyi Makinde administration has both revived and modernized the Fashola Farm settlement scheme and made it a hub with 10 industries processing a variety of crops.
With the private sector participation in the agribusiness vision of the government, the farm settlement has become famous attracting interests groups beyond the borders of Nigeria.
According to Governor Makinde, “What private investors have brought
into Fashola Farms is more than 100 percent above what the state government has put in here, and that is encouraging. What we are doing here in Oyo State regarding agribusiness has been picked up by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, IITA, and is to be adopted in some 17 countries.”
During his three-day visit to Oyo State, President Julius Maada Bio lauded the agricultural revolution of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, saying Sierra Leone has a lot to tap from the state.
The visit is a follow-up to Governor Seyi Makinde’s participation in the just-concluded 2025 edition of the Africa Business Forum in Addis Ababa.
This visit is part of Governor Makinde’s plan to strengthen Oyo State’s economy and ties between Sierra Leone and Nigeria, particularly in the areas of agriculture and trade.
The president of Sierra Leone, Bio, has been a strong advocate for agricultural development and economic growth. President Bio had earlier paid a courtesy call on President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.
During his visit, President Bio had the opportunity to inspect the facilities at Fashola Farms and engaged with stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, during the visit of President Bio to the state, stated that his government has walked its talk on an agricultural revolution in the state, hence the positive results being witnessed in its agribusiness sector.
The governor spoke at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, while delivering a welcome address at the Presidential Visit Programme themed “The Power of Improved Technologies and Public-Private Partnership to Accelerate the Feed Salone Strategy.”
Makinde noted that his administration’s commitment to doing agriculture differently led to its creation of the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA) and the subsequent upgrade of the moribund Fashola Farms, Oyo, to Fashola Agribusiness Industrial Hub.
He added that the decision has paid off, with the African Development Bank (AfDB) designating the Hub as the first Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) in Nigeria.
He charged the Sierra Leonean president to adopt the Oyo State Agribusiness model for his country.
“For a fact, when we came into government in 2019, we knew agriculture would be one of the pillars on which the economic transformation of Oyo State would be built.
“We started by creating a strategy document, The Roadmap for Accelerated Development of Oyo State (2019-2023). We have since followed that with The Roadmap for Sustainable Development of Oyo State (2023-2027).
“Before I leave office, I will also produce a document that I will hand over to the incoming administration. It will be The Roadmap for Continuous Development of Oyo State (2027 and beyond). So, we will continue to take steps to modernize our agricultural sector and enhance food security as well as stimulate economic growth.
“About 2020, we signed the OYSADA law, and it has been an agency that has served as a special purpose vehicle for agribusiness partnership between the state, the private sector, and development organizations.
It is a model I will recommend for Sierra Leone.
“About a year later, we started developing the first agribusiness industrial hub, which would serve as a pilot for other developments. I spoke about this earlier; it is the first APZ in Nigeria, and we have already kick-started the next one in Eruwa. We also have another one coming up in Ijaye through collaboration with the French government.
“Another thing we have done is to leverage the AfCFTA free trade area to expand our agricultural exports to see partnership at both the national and sub-national levels.
“Also, because we know how important having the right skills in agriculture is, we launched our training programme by collaborating with IITA on the Start Them Early Programme in a small school, but we have now expanded it to all the senatorial zones of Oyo State.
“We don’t just talk; we walk the talk, and we will continue to do whatever we say we are going to do,” Makinde said.
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