The Special Adviser to the Ondo State Governor on Legislative Matters and the Chief Executive Officer of Nibanola Motherland, Hon. Ajiibayo Adeyeye, has called on the people of Ondo State to embrace agriculture as a solution to combat food insecurity.

Adeyeye made the call at Nibanola Motherland in Ondo while hosting members of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Ondo State Council, on Thursday, December 26, 2024.

Adeyeye, a trained medical doctor and lawyer, shared how he left his professions to focus on agriculture, explaining that Nibanola Motherland, which began as a cassava and maize farm, has grown into a multi-faceted venture encompassing poultry farming, palm tree plantations, cocoa, kolanut, piggery, fisheries, and resorts.

With a poultry capacity of 65,000 birds producing up to 1,200 crates of eggs daily at its peak, the farm is now the largest egg producer in Ondo State.

Adeyeye emphasized the importance of local production and innovation, citing the use of poultry waste to feed fish in the farm’s dams.

He expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of manpower, describing it as a major challenge in the sector, even when workers are being paid very well. Adeyeye, who served seven years in the state executive council, also commented on the stalled egg powder factory project, pointing to the lack of raw materials as a significant hurdle.

“The reality is that, unfortunately, the egg factory was conceived with the machinery to convert eggs to powder, but without considering the raw materials. That factory requires about 1 million eggs every day, and to produce 1 million eggs a day, you need at least 1.5 million birds laying at 70-75% capacity.”

“I think the government needs to rethink that project and, first, empower farmers to produce more before considering egg powder. Otherwise, we’ll have a factory that will not run. There will be no raw materials for it to work with,” he added.

He criticized the reliance on imported food, highlighting that crops like rice, tomatoes, and pepper can be cultivated locally with minimal effort.

He emphasized how vast the agricultural market is and urged the media to help propagate the right ideas to the people.

He expressed optimism about the future of agriculture, citing the economic realities that are pushing more people to explore the sector.

Adeyeye called on residents to seize the opportunities in agriculture, adding that the sector remains a viable path to economic sustainability for individuals and the state.