The Ogun State Government has empowered 4,316 smallholder farmers with home gardening toolkits and improved planting materials under its Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme to strengthen food security and boost rural livelihoods.
Governor Dapo Abiodun, represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Bolu Owotomo, disclosed this during the flag-off of the distribution exercise in Odogbolu, noting that the initiative was designed to equip farmers with tools and inputs that enhance household food production and income generation.
Owotomo said the gesture reflects the Abiodun administration’s commitment to building a productive and self-reliant agricultural base through inclusive, community-driven programmes.
“This initiative is a practical step toward food security at the household level,” he said. “With the toolkits and improved planting materials, every beneficiary household can cultivate vegetables, tomatoes, okra, peppers, and fruits even in small spaces. What we are giving is not a handout but a seed of independence that will grow into a culture of productivity across our homes.”
He added that the world faces increasing food insecurity and nutritional challenges, making it necessary to return to resilient, community-based food systems. “Home gardening is one of the most impactful ways to achieve this,” Owotomo noted.
The current phase of the programme covers Obafemi Owode, Odogbolu, Ijebu-East, and Yewa-North local government areas, with plans to extend to other councils.
Governor Abiodun commended the SAPZ team and development partners for ensuring that the project reached genuine beneficiaries, noting that the initiative aligns with his administration’s ISEYA mantra and the state’s sustainable agriculture goals.
He urged beneficiaries to take full ownership of the materials and use them to improve their nutrition and earnings. “Development begins when people are empowered to feed themselves and live with dignity,” the governor said.
Chairman of Odogbolu Local Government, Babatunde Diya, described the initiative as a strategic effort to build a new generation of agripreneurs, revealing that the council had donated 400 hectares of land to support landless youths and women in agribusiness under the SAPZ scheme.
“This programme particularly targets women, especially those of childbearing age, because they are the backbone of household nutrition and stability,” Diya added.
Permanent Secretary and State SAPZ Coordinator, Kehinde Jokotoye, said the empowerment aimed to help women farmers grow fresh, healthy food for their families and communities. She cautioned beneficiaries against selling the toolkits, stressing that they were valuable and meant to improve livelihoods.
A resource person, Mr. Akinwande, also trained participants on how to use the materials effectively and adopt good agronomic practices for better yields.
Beneficiaries, including Ms. Sunamite Atobisan and Ms. Okepopo Bolanle, expressed gratitude to the state government for its continued investment in agriculture, promising to make good use of the support.
The distributed items included okra, pepper, amaranthus, ewedu, pawpaw, and tomato seeds, alongside cocopeat, germination trays, grow bags, gloves, organic fertilisers, organic insecticides, rakes, shovels, and SAPZ-branded bags.
The SAPZ programme is a Federal Government initiative implemented in partnership with the African Development Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the Islamic Development Bank, and the Ogun State Government.
