The Ogun State Government has officially commenced the harvest of 1,400 metric tonnes of rice from a 200-hectare rice plantation located in the Magboro area of Obafemi Owode Local Government Area. Governor Dapo Abiodun, who led the flag-off ceremony, pledged to expand the current plantation from 200 hectares to 2,000 hectares in a bid to ensure food security and sufficiency in the state.
Governor Abiodun called on the youth to embrace agriculture as a means to secure the state’s food future and promised to develop critical infrastructure to support this vision. “This is a 200-hectare rice farm. The farmers are mainly women and youths from all parts of the country, not just Ogun State alone,” he stated during the event.
The governor emphasized that Ogun State’s participation in rice production aligns it with other states like Lagos, Kebbi, and Bayelsa, contributing to the local production of rice for domestic consumption. He also highlighted the economic benefits, job creation, and improved livelihoods within the communities as key outcomes of the project.
Each farmer in the cluster was allocated one hectare of land, and with the farm’s yield of seven metric tonnes per hectare, the 200 hectares are expected to produce 1,400 metric tonnes of rice. Governor Abiodun noted that with an efficiency yield of about 70 percent, this translates to approximately 20,000 bags of milled rice per cycle, valued at an estimated ₦1 billion. If harvested three times a year, the revenue could reach ₦3 billion.
“In this place, I have 12,500 hectares of land, and all we have farmed is 200 hectares that yielded ₦1 billion for 200 farmers. From here, I can feed the rest of the country. We will scale up this project immediately from 200 to 2,000 hectares. We can generate ₦30 billion in revenue,” the governor declared.
This initiative is part of Ogun State’s broader strategy to contribute to President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s goals of eradicating poverty and hunger by providing affordable food to Nigerians. The project not only boosts rice production but also addresses animal husbandry and other agricultural needs.
Governor Abiodun also announced the state’s commitment to providing critical support through the OGSTEP Agricultural Sector Intervention, offering advanced agricultural techniques, access to quality seeds, modern irrigation systems, and technical training for farmers. These services are available to beneficiaries at a 65 percent discount on the cost of each mechanization operation.
The governor assured the community that solar pumps would be installed to power boreholes on the farm, and modern drones would be deployed for effective pest control.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Bolu Owotomo, praised the initiative as a key element of the Abiodun administration’s agricultural policy, aimed at ensuring food sufficiency and boosting the state’s economy.
