Our Land, Our Future: Unlocking Oyo State’s Agricultural Power

By: Aare Gbenga Eyiolawi

When nations rise, they do not rise on the strength of oil alone. They rise on the back of agriculture, food security, and the ability of communities to feed themselves and trade with others. In Nigeria today, agriculture is no longer just an option, it is the lifeline we must embrace to rebuild our economy, reduce poverty, and restore dignity to our people.

Among the states blessed with this opportunity, Oyo State stands out. And within Oyo, the jewel that holds the key is Oke Ogun – a vast region often described as the “food basket of the state,” yet still waiting for its true glory to shine.

Oke Ogun: The Sleeping Giant

Oke Ogun comprises ten local governments, stretching across some of the most fertile land in Nigeria. From Saki to Iseyin, from Igbeti to Kisi, this region is blessed with rolling plains suitable for mechanized farming. Cassava, yam, maize, vegetables, cashew, and even rice are grown here. Yet, despite this abundance, the region’s output still falls far short of its potential.

Most farmers work in isolation, using traditional methods, battling middlemen, and struggling without storage or processing facilities. The result is a paradox: land everywhere, but prosperity nowhere.

But imagine a different future – an Oke Ogun where farmers are organized, united, and cooperative. A future where the collective becomes stronger than the individual, and where farming shifts from survival to enterprise.

The Power of Cooperative Farming

Cooperative farming is not a foreign idea; it is a return to our roots. Our ancestors farmed as a community, clearing land together, planting together, harvesting together. Today, we can modernize this spirit into structured cooperatives that bring scale, technology, and access to markets.

Through group cooperative farming, Oke Ogun farmers can:

• Access shared tractors, irrigation systems, and modern machinery.

• Secure financing through cooperative creditworthiness.

• Reduce post-harvest losses with collective storage.

• Eliminate exploitative middlemen by negotiating as a group.

• Connect directly to processors, supermarkets, schools, and exporters.

In micro-farming, these cooperatives go further: farmers jointly acquire machinery – tractors, planters, harvesters – which are rotated among members. This removes the long delays of waiting for the few government machines and empowers farmers to achieve consistent, large-scale results.

When farmers unite, they stop being scattered voices in the market; they become a force.

From Micro-Farming to Micro-Processing

Farming alone is not enough. If Oyo truly wants to unlock the wealth of Oke Ogun, it must go beyond planting and harvesting. The next step is micro-processing : small-scale, community-level processing of farm produce.

Examples include:

• Turning cassava into garri, flour, or starch.

• Processing maize into flour, animal feed, or cereals.

• Packaging cashew nuts for local and export markets.

• Turning tomatoes and peppers into pastes and powders.

But here lies the greater opportunity: farmers, through their cooperatives, can come together to own micro-processing plants located within their farm environments. Instead of sending raw produce far away for processing, they add value right where the crops are grown. This ensures better pricing, cuts transportation losses, and keeps wealth in the hands of the farmers themselves.

By owning these plants, farmers shift from being suppliers of raw goods to stakeholders in the food value chain. Every bag of maize, every tuber of yam, every sack of cassava becomes not just produce, but a finished product that commands higher prices and creates more jobs.

Quick Facts: Oke Ogun’s Potential

• 10 Local Governments with vast arable land

• Major crops: cassava, yam, maize, cashew, rice, vegetables

• Potential annual revenue: billions of naira from farming + processing

• Thousands of new jobs across farming, processing, logistics

• Oyo could become the state with the most affordable fresh food in Nigeria

Oyo State’s Path to Prosperity

If Oyo State embraces cooperative farming and supports micro-processing in Oke Ogun, the impact will be transformative:

• Revenue: Billions of naira in exports and domestic trade.

• Employment: Hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs.

• Food Security: Affordable food across Oyo and neighboring states.

• Reputation: A new identity as Nigeria’s pacesetter in agriculture.

This model is proven. From India to Brazil, cooperative farming tied to local processing has lifted millions out of poverty.

Oyo State has the perfect conditions to replicate and even surpass these successes.

5 Crops for Micro-Processing in Oke Ogun

1. Cassava which can be processed into garri, flour, starch

2. Maize which can be processed into flour, feed, cereals

3. Cashew which can be processed into shelled nuts and packaged for exports or local distribution

4. Tomatoes & Peppers which can be processed into paste, packaged dried powder

5. Yam which can be processed into yam flour, chips

Beyond Economics: Social Transformation

This story is not only about revenue. Cooperative farming and micro-processing rebuild communities, restore pride in agriculture, and give young people reasons to stay in Oyo rather than migrate.

A thriving Oke Ogun means:

• Cheaper, fresher food in Ibadan markets.

• Stronger rural economies with better schools and healthcare.

• A model of community-driven development for all Nigeria.

Lessons from History

The farm settlements of the 1960s under the Western Region showed what structured farming could achieve. Oyo can revive that spirit, but this time with cooperatives, farmer-owned micro-processing hubs, and modern technology.

Oil has failed to guarantee our future. Agriculture can. Processing can. Oke Ogun can.

Our Land, Our Future

The future of Oyo State and indeed Nigeria depends on how we use our land. “Our land, our future” is not just a slogan. It is a decision.

We must organize, cooperate, and process. We must turn fertile land into fertile wealth. We must make Oyo State the home of the freshest and most affordable food in Nigeria.

Our land is waiting. Our future is calling. Let us answer with unity, cooperation, micro-farming ingenuity, and farmer-owned micro-processing innovation.

About the Author

Aare (Dr.) Gbenga Eyiolawi, Aare Kebimapalu of Ibadan Land is an entrepreneur, agribusiness advocate, and community leader passionate about using cooperative farming, micro-processing, and innovation to drive food security and prosperity in Nigeria.