The Ogun State Government, in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), has flagged off the distribution of agricultural inputs to 2,740 cassava farmers under the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme, reaffirming its commitment to building a technology-driven, climate-smart and commercially viable agricultural sector that attracts investment, strengthens agricultural value chains and improves farmers’ incomes.

Flagging off the distribution, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Bolu Owotomo, described the intervention as a strategic investment in the future of agriculture in Ogun State. He said the initiative reflected Governor Dapo Abiodun’s unwavering commitment to empowering farmers, increasing food production and driving sustainable economic growth.

Owotomo noted that agriculture remains the cornerstone of the administration’s “Building Our Future Together Agenda,” adding that beyond the distribution of agricultural inputs, the SAPZ Programme is delivering critical infrastructure that will create an enabling environment for agribusinesses to thrive and stimulate rural development.

He disclosed that the state government, through the programme, had distributed over 11,400 agricultural input packages to 2,480 rice farmers and 8,628 cassava farmers across the state, while 12,000 farmers benefitted from capacity-building and extension services aimed at improving productivity, promoting climate-smart agricultural practices and enhancing livelihoods.

The Acting State Programme Coordinator, Mr Ibrahim Buṣi, while speaking at the event, explained that the distribution formed part of the collaborative efforts of the Ogun State Government, the Special Agro-industrial Processing Zones Programme, IFAD and other development partners to provide farmers with the resources needed to improve productivity and expand agricultural enterprises.

He said the intervention would create employment opportunities, strengthen food security, improve household incomes and enhance the socio-economic wellbeing of farming communities across the state.

Also speaking, Agricultural Productivity Officer, Mr Olawale Odunaya, revealed that each agricultural input package, comprising NPK fertiliser, improved cassava stems and agrochemicals, is valued at N126,000. He explained that under the programme’s matching grant arrangement, male beneficiaries contributed only N37,200, while female beneficiaries paid N26,500, with the balance subsidised through the SAPZ Programme.