In a country faced with depleting economic value; thriving on import goods and have little or nothing to export in exchange, a country where people’s businesses are faced with insecurities and several other unfavorable conditions and practices, where the environment isn’t enabling for the productivity of young minds, posing a great threat to future leadership and sustainability.

The Oyo State Government under the administration of Engr. Seyi Makinde as Governor, has envisioned and set the pace once again as a model of solution to most of the shortcomings that betide us as a Nation.

Firstly, a State or Nation that doesn’t have any particular sector as its focus for economic advancement, will dabble into anything and improve nothing. But Engr. Seyi Makinde has specifically mapped out agribusiness as his model for economic impact and has since been committed to this cause in every possible way, ensuring to navigate through and around every possible hurdles faced with this quest.

Peculiar to Agriculture in the Southwest has been the destruction of farmlands by herds of cattle, and a resultant clash between farmers and the herdsmen. This has been a major concern of farmers as many were forced to abandon their farmlands, thus reducing food production, hence scarcity and inflated prices of food items.

Rather than a tribal or occupational ban, this visionary would have everyone accommodated by implementing measures that will enable peaceful cohabitation; the transformation of farm settlements to agribusiness industrial hubs; Fasola Agro-industrial Hub as a case study.

The agribusiness industrial hub will be and is already in many ways, a model to solve most of the crisis the economy of the State is faced with. Beyond security, the objective of the farm estate is to make Oyo State a self-sustaining State in food production, and simultaneously create opportunities for agribusiness development.

Prior to the commencement of the construction of the agro-industrial hub has been the construction of road networks to provide the farm produce access to market with ease and at low cost; providing a connection of producers and consumers at a regional scale.

The hub is a means to promote sustainable production of safe and healthy food through viable inputs at low cost.

This project is also centered around attracting private promoters that seek new agricultural paradigm, and investors, as the State already records over 23 billion naira in agribusiness investments.

It is also an opportunity for corporate farmers to generate income even in their absence on the farm while they may be attending to other jobs, with the aid of employed workers and the agribusiness hub management.

These farmers and investors are also privilege with access to agricultural institutions and related agencies such as Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency(OYSADA), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture(IITA), University of Ibadan, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State School of Agriculture and Technology (OYSCATECH), Igboora, amongst others.

The project promises enhanced efficiency in the supply chain, and exploitation of several other value addition activities.

This is simply a process of improving the economy of the State through agribusiness, by eliminating every challenges faced with agriculture in the State; providing low cost location with natural farming potential, away from peculiar insecurities; creating more job opportunities; and serving as a model.

If the Oyo State Government can continue on this path towards extension and introducing other advancements, Oyo State has a high tendency of becoming the food basket of the nation, and a gateway to exportation and ushering in investments.