The South-West Development Commission (SWDC) has commenced work on a “Transformed Communities” (TransComs) initiative aimed at supporting clusters of contiguous farming communities through coordinated improvements in infrastructure, agriculture, agro-processing, enterprise support and skills development.

The project, to be implemented in collaboration with the Foundation for Technology Innovation and Sustainable Development (FTID) as technical partner, is expected to expand economic opportunities and improve the quality of life in rural and semi-urban communities across the South-West region.

TransComs is being jointly developed under a structured implementation framework, with rollout expected to proceed in phases, subject to formal approvals and inter-governmental coordination.

The SWDC Executive Director (Commercial and Environmental Development), Fatai Ibikunle, while speaking at a meeting with the Executive Director of FTID, Prof. Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, yesterday, described the project as a priority for the Commission.

Ibikunle noted that although the South-West remains Nigeria’s leading economic region, significant disparities persist between major urban centres and rural communities where most agricultural production takes place.

According to him, many rural communities in the region still face infrastructure deficits, limited access to markets, and inadequate opportunities for youth employment and enterprise growth.

“The TransComs initiative is designed to provide essential infrastructure that will ease farmers’ activities, attract agro-processing industries, facilitate access to markets, and provide enterprise support and skills development, especially for youths,” he said.

He added that the initiative encourages community participation and local ownership, with the potential to deliver measurable and sustainable outcomes rather than isolated or short-term interventions.

Ibikunle explained that initial deployment would begin with pilot communities before scaling up across the six states of the South-West, based on readiness, partnership alignment and resource availability.

SWDC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Charles ‘Diji Akinola, who also spoke on the development, said the initiative is one of the Commission’s flagship programmes aimed at transforming agriculture and strengthening food security in the region in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Akinola noted that TransComs aligns with the Commission’s broader mandate to drive infrastructure expansion, industrial development, human capital growth and job creation under its regional integration framework.

“Transformed communities are expected to contribute to stronger rural incomes, improved access to basic services and the development of more resilient local economies across the Southwest,” he added.