Despite possessing one of the largest land masses in Southern Nigeria, Oyo State’s agricultural potential remains vastly underutilised. The state — with a land size of approximately 28,454 square kilometers, nearly equivalent to the entire land area of South-East Nigeria (comprising five states) — holds the natural capacity to become the agricultural capital of Southern Nigeria, if not the entire country.
Unfortunately, the agricultural dream is far from reality.
🌾 A Land Overflowing with Agricultural Promise
From maize to cassava, yam to plantain, tomato to pepper, Oyo soil supports a wide range of food crops — a critical factor for food sufficiency. The state’s climate, soil fertility, and topography make it one of Nigeria’s best-positioned regions for year-round farming. In addition, Oyo boasts an extensive network of rivers and streams, which are vital for irrigation and animal rearing.
Yet, despite these endowments, the state’s food production levels remain low, forcing not only Oyo but many South-Western states to rely heavily on food transported from the North — a dependency that is both economically unsustainable and a national security risk.
🏘️ The Rise of Real Estate and the Decline of Farmland
What should be green farmland is quickly turning grey with concrete. The real estate sector is rapidly consuming arable land across key agricultural belts in the state — particularly in Ibadan, Oyo, Ogbomoso, and Iseyin zones. Developers are cashing in on land speculation and middle-class housing demand, leaving farmers with shrinking access to productive land.
If this trend continues unchecked, affordable food will become a luxury, and Oyo's dream of being a food basket will be permanently buried under blocks and mortar.
🧑🌾 Governor Makinde’s Efforts: Good But Incomplete
Governor Seyi Makinde has made commendable efforts to revive agriculture through various initiatives:
Youths in Agribusiness (YEAP) — aimed at encouraging youth participation in farming.
Revival of the Fasola Agribusiness Hub, a long-abandoned project now repositioned as an agricultural innovation and value chain center.
The Oyo Agric Investment Plan, which reportedly attracted over ₦6 billion in public-private investments.
Procurement of a surveillance aircraft in 2025 to monitor insecurity in rural areas, particularly Fulani herder-farmer clashes that have crippled farming in parts of Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa.
Yet, these efforts are not enough.
What Oyo needs now is bold policy action and interstate collaboration.
🛑 Challenges Holding Oyo Back
1. Insecurity: Farmer-herder clashes, bandit attacks, and rural thefts are major deterrents for full-time agricultural investors and smallholder farmers. Although the surveillance aircraft acquired by the Makinde administration in late 2025 is a step forward, ground-based security presence and rural policing are equally critical.
2. Poor Rural Infrastructure: Most farmlands in Oyo are inaccessible during the rainy season. There are limited feeder roads, no cold storage, and few agro-processing centers.
3. Capital Access: Smallholder farmers, who produce over 70% of Nigeria’s food, lack affordable credit. Microfinance institutions often offer exploitative interest rates.
4. Policy Gaps: There are no stringent laws to regulate land use between agriculture and real estate. Urban planning is expanding without agricultural zoning.
🤝 A Call for South-West Collaboration
The South-West governors (DAWN Commission) need to come together to build a regional agricultural development framework, anchored in Oyo State. This would involve:
Establishing regional food processing and storage hubs in Oyo.
Launching an interstate food security fund.
Creating agricultural commodity boards that stabilize food prices.
Linking farmers across the region with transport, storage, and market access.
This level of integration could insulate the South-West from food inflation, provide jobs, and increase GDP.
🧭 Strategic Recommendations
To unlock its full agricultural potential, Oyo State should:
Declare an Agricultural Emergency: Classify farmland protection as a state security matter, prioritising land use regulation to favour farming over housing developments.
Enact an Agricultural Land Use Act: Allot specific zones for agriculture, backed by law.
Offer Real Incentives: Tax rebates, free seedlings, land grants, and guaranteed offtake programs for local farmers.
Attract Agro-Tech Companies: Encourage investments in smart irrigation, precision farming, and AI-driven crop monitoring.
Revamp the Rural Security Network: Collaborate with Amotekun to protect farmers and food routes.
Oyo State is a sleeping giant in agriculture — with all the ingredients to lead a food revolution in Southern Nigeria. However, its continued inaction or slow progress means the dream of becoming a “food basket” could vanish forever. It’s time to move from slogans to solutions. The real enemy is not a lack of resources — it's the lack of commitment, coordination, and courage.
Now is the time for Oyo to lead. Now is the time to plant the seeds of the South’s food sovereignty. 🌾🇳🇬
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