Nigeria’s agricultural sector grapples with pressing challenges, from low productivity to subpar infrastructure and limited access to crucial financial resources. The path to revitalization necessitates visionary leaders —individuals with the expertise, experience, and unswerving passion to enact genuine change.

Bolu Owotomo is one such leader. A distinguished investment professional and seasoned agriculture expert. Owotomo’s extensive 18-year journey encompasses both the private and public sectors, equipping him with the knowledge and hands-on experience needed to spearhead a transformation of the agricultural sector.

This journey has led to his appointment as Commissioner for Agriculture in Ogun State, where he leads the charge in reinvigorating the state’s agricultural landscape.

Educationally, Bolu’s journey exemplifies dedication. His tenure at Harvard Business School encompassed private equity, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, and corporate restructuring, plunging deep into the core of finance. He completed a Bachelor of Science in Marketing at Babcock University.

Bolu has fortified his qualifications with certifications, holding a Project Management Professional (PMP) title and a Professional Scrum Master (PSM) qualification. These endorsements underscore his unwavering commitment to professional growth.

He oversees an extensive portfolio of agricultural assets. including rubber, oil palm, and cashew plantations, spanning a combined land area of 18,780 hectares. His leadership is pivotal in the strategic turn-around and commercialization of these crucial agricultural assets.

Notably, Bolu is also the Chairman of the Board of Ilushin Estates Limited.

Before his current role, Bolu held the position of Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Ogun State on Governors Office from September 2019 to May 29, 2023. He balanced this with the role  of General Manager of the Ogun State Agricultural Development Corporation from December 2020.

In his current role as commissioner, Bolu’s primary mission is to elevate Ogun State’s agriculture sector, breathing new life into its potential. With a deep-rooted belief in agriculture’s transformative

power, he envisions a Nigeria where agriculture is a driver of job creation, poverty reduction, and food security. To him this vision isn’t merely an idea — it is a blueprint for tangible change.

Owotomo’s vision is based on four key pillars, each representing a critical aspect of his strategic approach. These pillars include increased agricultural productivity, improved value chain, job creation for young people, and attracting investment into the state’s agricultural sector.

Each pillar serves as a compass with which the commissioner charts a course toward agricultural transformation. Through a laser-focused commitment to enhancing productivity, he seeks to maximize the sector’s output, ensuring that every inch of arable land is optimized for the benefit of the state.

Simultaneously, Bolu Owotomo is unwavering in his pursuit of an improved value chain. His objective is to streamline the processes that connect agricultural production to the end consumer, minimizing waste and inefficiencies.

He is positioned as a driving force for change in the Ogun State’s agricultural sector. He is a beacon of hope for a brighter, more prosperous future where agriculture takes center stage in the state’s economic growth and development.