Gov. Abiodun Distributes Tractors, Android Phones, Farm Inputs to Boost Food Production

 

Aina Obasanjo 

Ogun State Government has unveiled an agricultural support package for 10,000 rice and cassava farmers as part of efforts to boost food production and strengthen food security.

The package included subsidised fertilisers, urea, herbicides and improved cassava stems, as well as the distribution of 10 tractors, other farm equipment and 1,200 Android phones.

Governor Dapo Abiodun announced the interventions during the 2026 World Food Day celebration at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, with the theme, “Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow.”

Governor Abiodun explained that the Android phones were equipped with applications to provide farmers with weather updates, market prices and information on improved farming practices.

He said the tractors and other agricultural equipment would support farm settlements and farmers’ associations across the state, while reducing the cost and burden of manual farming.

Governor Abiodun reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transforming agriculture into a profitable, technology-driven sector capable of generating employment, attracting investment and contributing to national food security.

He disclosed that the state had completed 28 agricultural projects in the last two years, covering crop production, aquaculture, poultry, processing, storage and mechanisation.

The governor also announced that the state had procured 39 tractors and four self-propelled harvesters to improve agricultural productivity.

On youth empowerment, Abiodun said more than 200 young people had received training in soilless farming, with start-up support to establish their own agricultural businesses.

He called on investors to explore opportunities in commercial farming, agro-processing, livestock production, irrigation, mechanisation and agricultural storage.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Bolu Owotomo, had said that the interventions were designed to improve farmers’ access to technology, agricultural equipment and essential farm inputs.

Hon. Owotomo disclosed that more than 12,000 farmers had benefited from training and agricultural inputs under the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project.

He explained that beneficiaries of the latest input support scheme would contribute 30 per cent of the cost, while the state government would cover the remaining 70 per cent through its partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

In a keynote address, a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Professor Kolawole Adebayo called for improved transportation infrastructure to facilitate the movement of agricultural produce and reduce post-harvest losses.

Professor Adebayo noted that Ogun State’s estimated 1.2 million hectares of arable land presented significant opportunities for agricultural and agro-industrial development.

The celebration featured the symbolic presentation of tractors, farm equipment, Android phones and agricultural inputs to beneficiaries.