At the second edition of the Oyo State International Agribusiness Summit 2025, Governor ’Seyi Makinde unveiled the Grown in Oyo State Certification Mark, a stamp of authenticity designed to identify agricultural produce cultivated within the state. The mark reflects the administration’s renewed commitment to quality, transparency, and a modern agribusiness ecosystem that connects all stakeholders through a trusted identity system. According to the governor, this development shows that the government will continue to support genuine investors and build meaningful partnerships that boost economic opportunities across the state.
Speaking at the summit held at the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Governor Makinde declared that his government had succeeded in transforming agriculture through institutional reforms over the last six years. He explained that the state adopted a structured agribusiness model to create jobs, support farmers, attract investment, and strengthen internal revenue, with the goal of moving citizens from poverty to prosperity.
The event attracted stakeholders from across the agriculture value chain, including industrialists, bankers, development partners, policy makers, and international delegates. While addressing participants, the governor said the gathering illustrated what collaboration and interconnectivity could achieve, noting that it aligned with the state’s drive to turn agriculture from subsistence and survival activity into a major engine of inclusive economic growth.
Makinde explained that agricultural industrialisation had been the focus of his administration for more than six years, adding that the summit aligned with the theme Expanding Oyo State’s Economy through Agricultural Industrialisation. He restated his promise to take Oyo State from potential to productivity and eventually to prosperity through strategic agribusiness policies.
The governor invited agribusiness investors to explore opportunities available in the state, citing Oyo’s abundant arable land across different agro ecological zones, a young and credible labour force, favourable climate conditions, proximity to Lagos, and growing industrial hubs supported by infrastructure and improved security. He noted that beyond resources, investors would also find a government with a culture of listening, responding, and partnering, together with a commitment to stability and continuation of policies.
His words: “I welcome you all to the Oyo State International Agribusiness Summit 2025. This gathering is a reminder of what collaboration and interconnectivity can accomplish. It represents our commitment to transforming agriculture from a subsistence activity into a modern engine of inclusive economic growth. For inclusive economic growth through agribusiness, we definitely will have to industrialise.”
According to him, the administration chose to prioritise agriculture as a central pillar of the state’s economic growth strategy. He said the summit offered another platform to share experiences from the years of strategic planning that led to the adoption of a structured agribusiness model. “The vision has remained consistent, to move Oyo State from potential to productivity, and also from productivity to prosperity,” he said. Makinde added that this model was designed to generate jobs, support farmers, attract investors, and improve government revenue.
He noted that before these reforms, agriculture in Oyo State was not widely considered a business. Government support was limited to subsidies for small scale farmers and there was no connection between policy formulation, infrastructure planning, research institutions, and private sector investment. This approach, he stressed, had contributed to the slow rise of agro industrialisation before his administration stepped in to reshape the sector.
Makinde explained that Oyo State took advantage of its location among top agricultural research institutions to change this pattern. “Where I sit as the governor of the state, within 20 kilometres radius, you have IITA, you have Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, CRIN and many others,” he said. He recalled that the government asked itself how these great institutions could be better integrated into the state’s development process. This led to active partnerships with institutions such as IITA and CRIN on projects including cocoa rejuvenation. “We believed that to change our narrative, we must do something and we did something,” he added.
The governor pointed out that the establishment of the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA) was one of the major steps taken to drive change. He described OYSADA as a special purpose vehicle and an implementation engine focused on delivering agribusiness development across the state. Makinde said the agency had helped build a solid foundation for the state’s ongoing agribusiness reforms.
He highlighted the key areas within the agribusiness roadmap, including agriculture as business, creation of infrastructure, youth and women inclusion, research driven production, financing, and investments. These priorities shaped government’s investment decisions and institutional reforms.
According to him, the state’s work on infrastructure played a central role. “When we came in 2019, we started by connecting all the zones with infrastructure,” he said. The expanded road network linking Oyo to Iseyin, Iseyin to Ogbomoso, Iseyin to Ibadan, and Iseyin to Ibarapa was designed to boost produce movement and access to markets. The ongoing Eruwa to Ibadan road project will complete this connectivity, he added. He stated that anyone visiting produce belts such as Iseyin or Eruwa would see increased movement of trucks collecting produce, a sign that the reforms were working even if neighbouring states did not witness the same changes at the same time.
The governor also spoke about the emerging Special Agro Processing Zones (SAPZ) in Ijaye and Eruwa, which will complement the existing Fasola zone. He noted that land clearing and preparations were ongoing, emphasising that the zones would soon become operational, allowing more investors to take advantage of ready industrial platforms.
Makinde said that while the government recognised the importance of import substitution, the state was determined not to limit itself to the domestic market. “Whatever efforts we are making should also be good enough to export and earn foreign exchange from Nigeria and Oyo State,” he said.
Addressing investors, he highlighted the value of public private partnerships. “We’ll do everything possible to support new investors in Oyo State,” he assured, explaining that the state was ready to invest public funds because the jobs to be created would benefit its people while produce would serve both domestic and export markets.
During goodwill messages, international partners acknowledged the state’s reforms. The Ambassador of Belgium to Nigeria, His Excellency Pieter Leenknegt, the Consul General and Trade Counsellor of Denmark in Nigeria, Ms Jette Bjerrum, the former Director General of CGIAR/IITA, Dr Nteranya Sanginga, and the Managing Director of First Bank of Nigeria PLC, Segun Alebiosu, praised Governor Makinde’s leadership in transforming agribusiness. They promised increased collaboration to boost the state’s economy.
Earlier, OYSADA Director General Dr Debo Akande said that Oyo State had taken a leap into a promising future of industrial agriculture, food security, and economic development. He stated that the future of the state was tied to advancing its agribusiness ecosystem through agricultural industrialisation. He noted that rural infrastructure investments were already driving agro based industrial development and helping communities connect to wider markets. Akande added that global and regional trade instruments would be opened up to agribusiness industrialists to support access to global markets.
The summit was attended by top state officials including Deputy Governor Barr Bayo Lawal, Secretary to the State Government Prof Olanike Adeyemo, Chief of Staff Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi, Deputy Chief of Staff Hon Kazeem Adeniyi, leaders of the Oyo State Elders’ Council Dr Saka Balogun and Elder Wole Oyelese, commissioners, permanent secretaries, members of the diplomatic corps, traditional rulers, and other dignitaries.
