By David Adeoye

Oyo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Olasunkanmi Olaleye, says agribusiness has attracted $170 million investment into the state.

Olaleye said this on Thursday during the maiden edition of inter-ministerial news briefing on government activities in the last two years, held at the conference room of the Governor’s Office Agodi Ibadan.

He said the establishment of Fashola Agribusiness Hub, Oyo, reflects government’s commitment to leveraging agriculture as a key driver of economic growth and development.

The commissioner also stated that more than 8,000 smallholder farmers have been integrated because of the size of the agro business companies at the hub.

He added that the $170 million investment would also create jobs for many people.

Highlighting the achievements of his ministry in the last two years, the commissioner said that not less than 10,210 farmers have been supported with seedlings and other inputs.

According to him, 3,541 maize farmers and 920 soybean farmers benefited from the seedling distribution programme.

He stated that high yield cassava stems were distributed to 1,269 farmers, “covering 47,587.5 acres with potential to produce 214,143.75 tonnes of cassava tubers.”

Olaleye further said that knapsack sprayers were distributed to 1,980 farmers, and herbicides and pesticides to 2,500 farmers.

The commissioner stated that government equally supported 8,464 livestock and aquaculture farmers with quality feed and other necessary input.

“We distributed quality inputs to diverse livestock farmers: 1,150 fish farmers received three bags each of 15kg quality fish feed.

“2,536 cattle, sheep, and goat farmers received nutritional supplements including 253,600kg of wheat offal, brewery dried grains, salt licks, and disinfectants.

“3,740 poultry farmers received eight bags of 50kg maize grains each; and 1,028 pig farmers received palm kernel cake and disinfectants,” he said.

On farmers’ accessibility to loans, Olaleye said government had provided micro loans to 3,501 smallholder farmers with soft loans ranging from N50,000 to N800,000 per beneficiary.

He said the loans would enable farmers to expand their operations and improve their livelihoods.

Olaleye also said that government’s rural infrastructure development programme in the last two years had continued to transform agricultural communities.

He said this had been realised through strategic road construction projects totalling 87.53 kilometres across multiple local governments.

The commissioner said these achievements and many others represented a comprehensive approach to agricultural development that addresses every aspect of the value chain.

He said that all the agricultural programmes had directly impacted tens of thousands of farmers in the state while building the infrastructure and institutional capacity needed for sustainable agricultural growth in Oyo State. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bayo Sekoni

By Felicia Imohimi

The Federal Government, in collaboration with the Commodities Development Initiative (CDI) and other stakeholders, has validated the National Soybean Expansion Strategy aimed at increasing Nigeria’s soybean production by an additional 460,000 metric tonnes.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, made this known at a national workshop on the Validation of the National Soybean Expansion Strategy on Wednesday in Abuja.

Kyari, who was represented by Mr Ibrahim Alkali, Senior Technical Adviser, said the ministry is prioritising value chain development that is private sector-driven, food-secure, and export-oriented.

He assured participants of the ministry’s commitment to providing the necessary policy and institutional support to drive the strategy forward and lauded the inclusive, action-oriented approach taken in its formulation.

“We must treat soybean as a strategic commodity. It is vital for nutrition, livestock feed, and foreign exchange.

“I am pleased with the direction this strategy is taking. Let us ensure that implementation is led by the private sector, but with strong government backing,” he said.

The minister also directed relevant departments within the ministry to integrate the strategy into national planning frameworks and align its goals with broader agro-industrial policies.

Mr Roland Oroh, Managing Director of CDI emphasised the collaborative and multi-stakeholder nature of the strategy.

He said the objective of the validation was to scale up Nigeria’s soybean production by an additional 460,000 metric tonnes.

This, he noted, could be achieved through a coordinated approach focused on enhancing productivity, expanding cultivated areas, improving processing capacity, and opening up both domestic and export markets.

According to him, the soybean expansion strategy is a practical roadmap developed with contributions from farmers, processors, exporters, investors, and government actors.

“The next phase is implementation, and that begins now with commitment from all parties involved,” Oroh said.

He noted that the workshop brought together key public and private stakeholders in the soybean value chain.

Oroh explained that the partnership would mobilise investments, strengthen farmer linkages, support agro-industrial processing, and position Nigeria as a competitive source of non-GMO soybeans.

A major highlight of the workshop was the signing of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework under the Nigeria Soybean Partnership, led by a coalition of stakeholders.

The stakeholders were tasked with implementing the strategy and coordinating interventions across the entire soybean value chain.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in partnership with the National Soybean Association of Nigeria, Oil Seed Processors Association of Nigeria, and CDI.

Other collaborators included the Dawanu Market Development Association. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Gregg Mmaduakolam/Tosin Kolade

By Peter Uwumarogie

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State have inaugurated an ultra-modern seed processing factory established by Premier Seeds Nigeria Ltd.

The facility, located in the Gombe Industrial Park, was developed with support from the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through its climate and agriculture programme, Propcom+.

Yahaya said the plant is crucial to Gombe’s largely agrarian economy, noting that more than 80 per cent of the state’s residents depend on farming for their livelihood.

“The factory will give our farmers access to high-quality, climate-smart seeds, boosting productivity and food security across the North-East and indeed Nigeria,” he said.

Obasanjo, founder of Premier Seeds, stressed the central role of quality seed in agricultural output.

He commended the state government for creating an enabling environment through the industrial park, saying the initiative would spur investment and tackle unemployment.

Director-General of the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), Mr Fatuhu Buhari, said the plant would unlock the North-East’s potential as an agro-industrial hub and aligns with Pillar 3 of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on food security and job creation.

Propcom+ Country Representative, Dr Adiya Ode, said the UK Government-funded programme’s investment in the seed processing facility would help close the gap in the availability and affordability of certified seeds across North-East Nigeria.

Ode explained that the plant was designed to strengthen the supply chain for improved, certified, climate-resilient seed varieties.

She said the facility would enable smallholder farmers to access high-yielding, drought- and flood-tolerant, disease-resistant, and bio-fortified seeds at significantly reduced costs.

According to her, the intervention will also address critical logistical challenges that hinder farmers’ access to quality seeds in the region.

Premier Seeds’ Managing Director, Dr Ibitoye Oyewale, described the facility as a milestone that raises the company’s processing capacity from 20 metric tonnes per hour to 35 metric tonnes, thereby improving farmers’ productivity and profitability. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Tosin Kolade

By Akeem Abas 

An Agripreneur, Mrs Blessing Nanman, has advised Nigerians to embrace creativity and innovation in order to revive the nation’s economy.

Nanman, the CEO of Lingzhi Global, said this during the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) 2025 In-House Research Review, held in Ibadan, stressing the importance of individual contributions.

The event had the theme “Advances in Varietal Development of Cocoa, Cashew, Coffee, Kola and Tea for Sustainable Economic Growth, Highlighting CRIN’s Commitment to Enhancing Crop Varieties and Agro-economic Development.”

The agripreneur recounted how she started her coffee business with just N35,000, which has grown into a global venture worth over ₦4 billion, exporting to 49 countries including 14 in Africa.

Nanman said that in coffee-producing countries, coffee was more than a beverage, it is a lifestyle that drives value creation, job opportunities and national pride.

She called on Nigerians to adopt a mindset of establishing value-added businesses such as coffee shops and chocolate companies that support local farmers as well as the economy.

According to her, rebuilding Nigeria’s economy is not the government’s duty alone; citizens must act by creating value from local products like coffee, tea, chocolate, and cashew.

Nanman said that in spite of the naira’s decline, it could be restored through innovation, unity, and personal responsibility.

She urged Nigerians to “pick up the pieces” and rebuild the country from wherever they are today. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bayo Sekoni

By Ahmed Kaigama

The UN Women says it has trained 20 artisans and seven agricultural extension workers on biogas digester installation, maintenance, and kitchen gardening to boost livelihoods in Bauchi’s rural communities.

The National Coordinator for the UN Women Biogas Projects, Mr Desmond Osemije, disclosed this on Tuesday at the opening of the training in Bauchi.

Osemije said that the initiative was also designed to tackle climate challenges in rural communities.

He explained that the 20 technicians, primarily plumbers, were being equipped with the skills to install and maintain biogas digesters and will, in turn, train 250 rural women beneficiaries in Bauchi and Dass Local Government Areas.

Osemije further said that 250 rural women would benefit from the biogas digester, comprising 125 each from Bauchi and Dass LGAs.

“Additionally, seven agricultural extension workers are undergoing training to establish kitchen gardens, enabling rural households to grow vegetables and other crops for easy access to fresh food.

“This project seeks to improve the time use of women, boost agricultural productivity and incomes, enhance health standards, reduce deforestation, and contribute significantly to combating climate change,” Osemije said.

He also said that producing low-cost biogas from animal waste would provide rural women with affordable clean energy for cooking, reduce income and time poverty.

It will also lessen their exposure to health hazards and risks of gender-based violence.

Also speaking, Hajiya Marka Abbas, the National Public Relations Officer of the Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation of Nigeria, underscored the need for collaboration with UN Women to promote sustainable agricultural practices and a cleaner environment.

She said that the project not only trains women and artisans to install and maintain bio-digesters, but also creates opportunities for income generation and economic independence.

“By converting waste into biogas and organic fertiliser, the project supports a circular economy, lowers greenhouse gas emissions, and combats deforestation.

“The initiative is being implemented in partnership with the Bauchi State Government through the Ministries of Women Affairs and Agriculture,” she said.

A participant, Miss Fatima Usman, expressed optimism that the training would enhance her livelihood and pledged to pass on the knowledge to other rural women. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Remi Koleoso/Sam Oditah

By Dorathy Aninge

The National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) says it is nurturing one million seedlings in nurseries to distribute to farmers across the country to boost cashew production.

NCAN President, Dr Joseph Ajanaku, said this on Tuesday at the planting of 20,000 seeds of cashew in Makurdi as part of the initiative.

Ajanaku, who was represented by Mr Mohammed Kabir, NCAN National Financial Secretary, said that the effort was in collaboration with Beyond Farm Collection (BFC).

The president added that the aim was to increase the annual production that currently stands at 580,000 metric tonnes to at least two million metric tonnes.

He said that the target was achievable, as 21 states of the federation have fertile land for large-scale cultivation of cashew.

Ajanaku emphasised that the move was imperative because of the vast economic and employment opportunities within the Nigerian cashew sector.

According to him, the cashew industry has the potential to inject billions of dollars into the Nigerian economy if properly supported by the stakeholders.

“We’re currently cultivating about one million cashew seedlings in nurseries to be distributed to cashew farmers nationwide.

“Just last week, I was in Kogi, where we raised 20,000 seedlings. Today, I’m in Benue supervising the nursery here.

“The one million cashew seedlings target is not restricted to just a few states; it’s an ongoing national effort.

Ajanaku said that NCAN had nurtured 300,000 seedlings across seven states of Kogi, Benue, Kwara, Oyo, Osun, Edo, and Enugu.

“So far, we have completed Kogi and Benue, and work is currently ongoing in Edo.

“After that, we will move to other states with suitable land and climate for cashew cultivation,” he added.

He described the Benue soil across the three senatorial zones as suitable for the cultivation of cashew.

Mrs Bridget Yough, Benue NCAN Chairperson, lauded the national leadership for choosing the state for the initiative.

Yough stated that based on last year’s analysis, they discovered that Benue produced just about 5,000 metric tonnes of cashew, adding that the figure was low considering the state’s potential.

“To boost productivity and benefit from this agricultural venture, we need quality seedlings and not just any seedlings. These are ‘Ogbomosho’ seedlings, which are known to be excellent for export.

“In fact, they are in high demand across Nigeria and even beyond. We’re grateful to have received them here for our farmers.

“Benue is starting with 20,000 seedlings, as you can see. We’re already planting them now. But we are requesting more, and we believe the national office will support us further,’’ she said.

Yough said cashew was extremely profitable, adding that ‘cashews are like diamonds on trees’.

She said that the older the cashew tree gets, the richer the farmer becomes.

“Right now, the minimum return you can get per metric tonne is about ₦1.8 million.

“If you plant cashew on one hectare of land, about 200 trees, you can generate at least four million naira annually. That’s the minimum. So yes, cashew is very lucrative,” she said.

The State Secretary of NCAN, Mr James Ekele, said that Benue has vast forested land and that what the national office was doing was empowering farmers, especially in Benue.

Ekele said the effort by the national body would enable them to convert idle lands into productive ventures and to generate income from them.

“I believe that as sensible and forward-thinking people, we’re already embracing this initiative wholeheartedly.

“And I think the government should also look into what the national office is doing and find ways to support and scale up cashew production across the states.

“Today, we’re facing challenges like insurgency and terrorists setting up camps in our communities, but cashew is one crop that can help us reclaim and put our lands to productive use.

“It can help chase away these threats by keeping the land busy and secure. But one of the major challenges farmers face is that many of our lands are still forested,” he stated.

The secretary called on the Benue government to invest in the sector by opening up farmland and providing machinery to remove trees and make the land arable again.

He urged the government to also empower farmers to access more seedlings and inputs. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Dorcas Jonah/Peter Amine