By Benjamin Njoku

At the recently concluded Oyo 2025 Agribusiness Summit, Afrimash, the Ibadan‑based agritech firm, emerged as a central player in the national conversation on food security.

From the opening of the summit, Afrimash’s pavilion functioned more as an innovation hub than a traditional exhibition booth. Farmers seeking practical solutions, students, policymakers and development partners all gathered at the stand.

Akinwumi Oyedotun, co‑founder and Chief Technology Officer, led the discussions, explaining how digital tools are reshaping agriculture. He emphasized that technology is a necessity for tackling Nigeria’s toughest farming challenges.

A highlight was the governor’s visit to the Afrimash stand. Oyedotun demonstrated how a farmer with a basic phone can order livestock inputs, receive veterinary guidance, track deliveries via the Afrimash USSD code, or connect with verified suppliers.

He also showcased AVA, the Afrimash Virtual Advisor on WhatsApp, which provides AI‑driven advice in local languages on feeding, disease control and breed selection. The governor praised the tools’ practicality, especially for remote farmers with limited access to reliable information.

Oyedotun’s leadership is rooted in a decade of experience building agricultural technology. Before the current agritech wave, he contributed to Cellulant’s USSD and mobile infrastructure for Nigeria’s Fertilizer Subsidy and Voucher Programme, later evolving into the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GES). That system helped eliminate corruption and deliver subsidies directly to farmers.

Today, Afrimash operates beyond Ibadan, offering verified livestock inputs, reliable suppliers, secure payments and door‑step deliveries. The platform has become a trusted partner for many farmers.

At the summit’s close, Afrimash expressed interest in deepening collaboration with the Oyo State Government to improve extension services, expand access to verified inputs and deliver digital tools to remote communities.

The message from Oyo 2025 was clear: Afrimash is not merely participating in Nigeria’s agricultural transformation—it is shaping it, one innovation and one farmer at a time.