The Oyo State Government has assured farmers, settlers, and other stakeholders at the Ijaiye Farm Settlement in Akinyele Local Government Area of its commitment to protecting their interests and economic benefits as it plans to establish an agro-processing zone and a RUGI-style international market in the area.
The government revealed its intention to utilize 3,000 hectares out of the 7,581 hectares at the Ijaiye settlement for a twin initiative: the Ijaiye Agro-Processing Zone and the RUGI-style Agro-International Market, modeled after similar systems in France.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ engagement meeting held at Atan-Ijaiye, the Permanent Secretary of the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA), Mr. Kolawole Badmus, who represented the Director General of the Agency, Dr Debo Akande, allayed concerns raised by farmers and residents over the proposed development.
He emphasized that Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration is committed to using the project to improve agricultural value chains and economic prosperity in the area.
“Governor Makinde is a compassionate leader. This project was deliberately sited here so that farmers can harness greater value from their produce,” Badmus said.
He further clarified that the government has been engaging with the Ijaiye farming community since 2020, contrary to the belief that stakeholders were not adequately consulted.
He cited the success of the Fashola Agro-Processing Hub as an example of the government’s dedication to transforming the agricultural sector.
“They’re only apprehensive because of past experiences, but we want to assure them that this is a new era. We now have a governor who is passionate about Oyo State’s development. We’ve done it before at Fashola, and we’ll do it again here in Ijaiye,” he added.
Also speaking at the meeting, the Chairman of Akinyele Local Government, Hon. Akinwole Akinleye, expressed excitement over the initiative, stating that the project would bring rapid development to the local government and Oyo State at large.
“We are happy that this transformative development is coming to Akinyele LG. We have assured the affected farmers that the government will provide adequate compensation and support ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for Saturday,” Akinleye said.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Ijaiye Farm Settlers Association, Mr. David Olatunji, along with other representatives, appealed to the state government to consider relocating the project to the forestry section of the settlement to minimize displacement. They also requested fair compensation for those who may be affected.