The Ekiti State Government, in partnership with the TRACE Project, has distributed irrigation pumps worth about N10 million to 28 cocoa nursery operators across local government areas of the state to strengthen cocoa seedling production and expand cocoa output.
The irrigation kits were presented in Ado-Ekiti by the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Ebenezer Boluwade, who said the intervention forms part of a broader plan by the state to revive and expand cocoa farming.
Boluwade explained that the beneficiaries had earlier undergone training on best practices for raising cocoa seedlings, noting that the equipment would help them produce healthy and high-quality seedlings for farmers across the state.
He said the initiative supports the state government’s 10-year policy plan designed to position Ekiti among the top three cocoa-producing states in Nigeria.
According to him, strengthening the capacity of cocoa nursery operators is essential to achieving the state’s long-term agricultural vision.
“The state government has developed a 10-year policy plan aimed at positioning Ekiti among the top three cocoa-producing states in Nigeria,” Boluwade said.
He added that the ultimate goal of the plan is to make Ekiti the largest cocoa producer in the country, surpassing the production record achieved during the era of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the old Ondo State.
Boluwade noted that the state would require about 10 million cocoa seedlings to meet its production target, which informed the decision to train and empower nursery operators with irrigation equipment.
“Providing irrigation pumps to cocoa nursery operators will enable them to produce quality seedlings consistently and support farmers who are expanding their cocoa plantations,” he said.
He also commended the TRACE Project for supporting the state’s cocoa development agenda and urged the beneficiaries to make effective use of the equipment.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Babatope Ojo, said the intervention would accelerate ongoing efforts to increase cocoa production in the state.
Ojo expressed appreciation to the federal government, the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji and the TRACE Project for supporting the initiative.
He advised the beneficiaries to use the equipment responsibly to improve their productivity and livelihoods.
A representative of the TRACE Project, Mr Adedigba Fisayo, said the programme has supported agricultural development in Ekiti since 2022.
He disclosed that the project had trained and provided agricultural inputs to more than 15,000 farmers across the state since its operations began.
“Ekiti is one of six states selected to benefit from the TRACE Project in Nigeria,” Fisayo said.
He explained that the 28 beneficiaries were carefully selected and trained in 2025 as cocoa nursery operators to support the state’s plan to expand cocoa production.
Fisayo also cautioned the operators against diverting the irrigation pumps for other purposes, warning that the project reserves the right to withdraw the equipment if it is misused.
The TRACE Project Desk Officer in the ministry, Mr Akerele Olalekan, and one of the beneficiaries from Ilumoba-Ekiti, Mr Onamadi Michael, appreciated the state government and the project for the support.
