Fashola Agribusiness Industrial Hub, the first of the integrated agribusiness industrial hubs that the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, approved for the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA) to build across the state, is in the spotlight with the
recent high-profile visit of the President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, to the state.

The presidential visit underscores the importance of agriculture and food security not only to Nigeria but also around the world.

Fashola Farms, located on 1,250 hectares of land in Oyo West Local Government in Oyo State, was originally established in 1946 by the British colonialists because of the vast potential the area has for the agricultural sector, especially livestock and poultry.

It was further developed under the old western region dairy farming during the era of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Fashola livestock farm was known all over Nigeria and beyond as a center of excellence for livestock research, breeding, and production.

The Seyi Makinde administration has both revived and modernized the Fashola Farm settlement scheme and made it a hub with 10 industries processing a variety of crops.

With the private sector participation in the agribusiness vision of the government, the farm settlement has become famous attracting interests groups beyond the borders of Nigeria.

According to Governor Makinde, “What private investors have brought into Fashola Farms is more than 100 percent above what the state
government has put in here, and that is encouraging. What we are doing here in Oyo State regarding agribusiness has been picked up by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, IITA, and is to be adopted in some 17 countries.”

During his three-day visit to Oyo State, President Julius Maada Bio lauded the agricultural revolution of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, saying Sierra Leone has a lot to tap from the state.

The visit is a follow-up to Governor Seyi Makinde’s participation in the just-concluded 2025 edition of the Africa Business Forum in Addis Ababa.

This visit is part of Governor Makinde’s plan to strengthen Oyo State’s economy and ties between Sierra Leone and Nigeria, particularly in the areas of agriculture and trade.

The president of Sierra Leone, Bio, has been a strong advocate for agricultural development and economic growth. President Bio had
earlier paid a courtesy call on President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.

During his visit, President Bio had the opportunity to inspect the facilities at Fashola Farms and engaged with stakeholders in the
agricultural sector. Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, during the visit of President Bio to
the state, stated that his government has walked its talk on an agricultural revolution in the state, hence the positive results being
witnessed in its agribusiness sector.

The governor spoke at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, while delivering a welcome address at the
Presidential Visit Programme themed “The Power of Improved Technologies and Public-Private Partnership to Accelerate the Feed
Salone Strategy.”

Makinde noted that his administration’s commitment to doing
agriculture differently led to its creation of the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA) and the subsequent upgrade of
the moribund Fashola Farms, Oyo, to Fashola Agribusiness Industrial Hub.

He added that the decision has paid off, with the African Development Bank (AfDB) designating the Hub as the first Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) in Nigeria.

He charged the Sierra Leonean president to adopt the Oyo State Agribusiness model for his country.

“For a fact, when we came into government in 2019, we knew agriculture would be one of the pillars on which the economic transformation of Oyo State would be built.

“We started by creating a strategy document, The Roadmap for Accelerated Development of Oyo State (2019-2023). We have since
followed that with The Roadmap for Sustainable Development of Oyo
State (2023-2027).

“Before I leave office, I will also produce a document that I will hand over to the incoming administration. It will be The Roadmap for Continuous Development of Oyo State (2027 and beyond). So, we will continue to take steps to modernize our agricultural sector and enhance food security as well as stimulate economic growth.

“About 2020, we signed the OYSADA law, and it has been an agency that has served as a special purpose vehicle for agribusiness partnership between the state, the private sector, and development organizations.
It is a model I will recommend for Sierra Leone.

“About a year later, we started developing the first agribusiness industrial hub, which would serve as a pilot for other developments. I
spoke about this earlier; it is the first APZ in Nigeria, and we have
already kick-started the next one in Eruwa. We also have another one coming up in Ijaye through collaboration with the French government.

“Another thing we have done is to leverage the AfCFTA free trade area to expand our agricultural exports to see partnership at both the national and sub-national levels.

“Also, because we know how important having the right skills in agriculture is, we launched our training programme by collaborating with IITA on the Start Them Early Programme in a small school, but we
have now expanded it to all the senatorial zones of Oyo State.

“We don’t just talk; we walk the talk, and we will continue to do whatever we say we are going to do,” Makinde said.

Explaining that Oyo State has always had a comparative edge in agriculture, which made it beholden to IITA and many other institutions, Governor Makinde maintained that his government has also worked hard to retain that edge, including putting in place road infrastructure that connects all zones of the state, improving security around the state, implementing investor-friendly policies,
and supporting smallholder farmers.

“The comparative advantage that Oyo State has over all other states in Nigeria is directly related to why IITA is located here. It is a
combination of strategic, climatic, historical, and logistical factors that make Oyo State an ideal location for agricultural research and
innovation.

“Climatically, Oyo State falls into two major agro-ecological zones—the derived savannah and a guinea savannah. Here in Ibadan,
where the IITA is located, we have the guinea savannah zone.

“Ibadan also serves as a traditional belt between the forest and the savannah ecosystem. This makes it an excellent testing ground for research on both tropical and semi-arid crops, allowing scientists to develop solutions applicable to diverse agricultural environments across Africa.

“Historically, there has been a synergy between the government and the institutions. As you may already know, Oyo State is home to the first university in Nigeria—University of Ibadan. The institution has one of the oldest and most respected agriculture faculties in Africa. This strong academic and agricultural research heritage strengthens the Ibadan position as a research hub,” the governor added.

He promised that his government would continue to work hard to ensure that Oyo State retains its edge, while also ensuring that agriculture plays a bigger role in the economic sustainability of the state.

Earlier, IITA director general and CGIAR regional director for Africa, Dr. Simeon Ehui, in a remark, said the visit of the president of Sierra Leone was a commitment to agriculture and food security in Nigeria, noting that science alone cannot transform agriculture, hence the need for partnership with research institutes.

The minister for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, represented by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Mr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, said Nigeria remains committed to transforming the agriculture sector.

President Bio, in his keynote address, said that research, innovation, and technologies would help to drive and transform Africa’s
agriculture sector.

Bio noted that there is a need for a strong partnership and
collaboration that would bring about food sufficiency and an economic boost as well as positive progress and development for farmers and agribusiness.

He assured of collaboration between the Nigerian and Sierra Leonean
governments to tackle challenges in food production and other agriculture-related problems.

During the panel discussions, Governor Makinde, who was joined by the governors of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum, and Plateau State Barr. Caleb Mutfwang, highlighted strategic efforts made in their various states to provide an enabling environment for businesses to
thrive and encourage large-scale farming while also providing insights into the accomplishments recorded so far.

Various speakers during the three sessions of panel discussions, which included President Bio, governors, and other experts, lamented capital
flight on the African continent, which was occasioned by food importation.

Bio remarked that the importation of food that can be produced locally implies that Africa has kept sending its money to foreign countries, thereby frustrating its own people to chase the job opportunities abroad while losing other gains the continent could have recorded if such money was retained within Africa.

The panelists in their various submissions equally highlighted the lack of commitment from many African governments in allocating the agreed-upon 10% of national budgets to agriculture.

While narrating efforts made by Sierra Leone in transforming its agricultural sector as a key driver of its economy, President Bio emphasized that due to the relatively small size of individual African economies, regional collaboration is essential.

Panelists proposed the establishment of joint agricultural facilities, including fertilizer production plants, to reduce costs and dependence on imports.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has hailed the agricultural transformation in Oyo State engineered by the State Governor, Seyi Makinde.

In a statement on the visit of the Sierra Leonean president, signed by its national publicity secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, the party said the visit to Governor Seyi Makinde is historic.

The party further stated that the visit was a resounding testament to Governor Makinde’s outstanding transformational leadership and
achievements in the state.

“The PDP notes that President Bio came to Nigeria to pay an inspection
visit to the Fashola Agribusiness Industrial Hub as well as other
pacesetting life-transforming projects executed by Governor Makinde, which have continued to attract local and international attention with corresponding foreign investments, job creation, and economic growth in the state.

“Our Party applauds Governor Makinde’s vision in transforming the Fashola Agribusiness Industrial Hub which hosts a variety of state-of-the-art facilities with over 10 different medium and large-scale agribusiness companies engaged in crop and livestock production, mechanization, processing, marketing, agritourism, training and empowerment which have placed Oyo State as a trailblazer in agribusiness development in Nigeria and the West African Sub-region.

“The PDP further notes that the Fashola Agribusiness Hub model has been adopted by other states of the federation as well as various international research and production institutes within and outside Nigeria.

“Also, the PDP is delighted by Governor Makinde’s recent outing at the African Business Forum 2025 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he showcased the opportunities that abound in Oyo State as a major investment destination, thereby further strengthening investors’ confidence in Oyo and other PDP-controlled states where our governors are pioneering giant strides and transforming their respective states into oases of development in our country,” the PDP said.