Southwest governors have unveiled plans for massive food production across the six states to combat the high prices of staple foods.
In a move reminiscent of the pre-independence and First Republic periods when agriculture was the backbone of the regional economy, the states will prioritize rice, maize, cassava, and poultry farming. Additionally, efforts will be made to revitalize moribund dams for irrigation.
Last week, President Bola Tinubu directed the governors to develop a realistic template to boost food production within a week. An investigation by The Nation revealed that governors of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti, operating under the Southwest Governors’ Forum, have tasked their agriculture commissioners with building on a plan developed during their meeting in Ibadan in May.
The meeting, convened by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, allowed the states to exchange ideas on increasing food production. Agreed strategies included clearing large farmlands for planting, creating farm units, strengthening the security outfit Amotekun to protect farmers and their farms, and large-scale production of short-term crops like maize, sweet potatoes, and vegetables.
Other agreements included revitalizing dams for irrigation, improving mechanization across the value chain, adopting a cluster farming model, expanding input distribution, and establishing an electronic agriculture database.
The governors will finalize strategies for clearing cluster farmlands this week. Each state agreed to support farmers in clearing at least 1,000 hectares of cluster farmland. The cluster farming model, which benefits from economies of scale, will facilitate farm security by Amotekun, ease produce off-take from farmers, and eliminate middlemen, ultimately reducing food prices.
The states may initially focus on rice, maize, cassava, and poultry farming to alleviate food inflation pressures. The Ibadan meeting emphasized cluster farming as a solution to insecurity and a means to achieve economies of scale.
The states will engage smallholder farmers, providing support with land clearing, seeds, and security. They also plan to develop irrigation systems to transition from rain-fed to year-round farming. Ekiti State has already cleared many acres of land, while Oyo State is offering an incentive by clearing one acre of land free for each acre cleared by a farmer.
The states will also strengthen and enforce anti-grazing laws to boost farmers’ confidence. This week, the governors are expected to submit their plans to the president, who has indicated the Federal Government’s willingness to support state food production efforts.
