Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has unveiled a 203-Ward Agricultural Programme designed to drive agricultural development based on the unique production strengths and needs of each ward.
Speaking at the FirstBank Agric and Export Expo 2026 in Lagos, the Governor said the initiative would identify farmers, cooperatives, production clusters, infrastructure gaps and investment opportunities across the state.
He stressed that Ondo must move from primary production to processing and global market access, leveraging its strengths in cocoa, oil palm, cassava, fisheries, aquaculture and livestock.
Governor Aiyedatiwa said his administration was supporting farmers through communal and cluster farming, distribution of over two million cocoa seedlings, rural road projects, improved security and efforts to provide power, water, storage and market access.
He also disclosed that Ondo had established a strategic committee on compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and commenced farm mapping to ensure the state’s cocoa remains eligible for premium international markets.
The Governor called for investments in processing, storage, logistics, renewable energy, agricultural technology and export infrastructure, rather than merely acquiring land or purchasing raw commodities.
“Our mission is straightforward. The work we produce in Ondo State should be increasingly processed in Ondo State, create jobs in Ondo State and compete confidently in markets across Nigeria and around the world.”
He said the administration’s agricultural agenda is aimed at creating jobs, strengthening farmers, attracting technology and investment, and retaining greater value within the state.
