Ogun State Governor, Mr. Dapo Abiodun, has said that setting up farm settlements nationwide is the key solution to achieving food self-sufficiency.
The governor made the remarks during an inspection tour of the innovative Soilless Farm Lab, situated in Awowo, Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State.
According to him, given the current circumstances, Nigerians must prioritize agriculture and cultivate a culture of consuming locally grown produce and producing their own food.
During his visit, Governor Abiodun drew inspiration from a similar Israeli initiative he had seen years earlier, where people work, live, worship, and play in a farm settlement. He praised the Soilless Farm Lab as a model to be replicated across the nation.
He expressed his intention to promote the establishment of similar farm settlements throughout the state, noting that such initiatives would garner support from the federal government.
“We are going to support the Chief Executive Officer of this project and the trainees, and we are going to replicate this in Ogun State. I believe that other states would also key into it as it would solve food problems and unemployment,” he stated.
To encourage the farm lab’s promoters, the governor announced the waiver of all fees associated with issuing title documents for the project. He assured that the management would receive their title documents within 24 hours.
“As a responsible state government, we are going to work with you. By the authority vested in me as the Executive Governor of Ogun State, in the next 24 hours, you will receive all your title documents for this place. The state government will not charge for the title document; this is the least we can do,” he declared.
Governor Abiodun also expressed his encouragement to the team for their dedication and responsibility. As a gesture of support, he announced a donation of N20 million on behalf of the state government.
“I have asked Samson Ogbole (the team lead) to come and meet me so we can both fashion out the kind of support that he needs now and will need in the immediate future and how to replicate what is going on here. I also want to support all of you. I am so encouraged by your level of enthusiasm, commitment, how intentional and deliberate you are, how responsible you all are. You are all champions. On behalf of the state government, I am donating N20 million to all of you,” he stated.
Governor Abiodun further expressed delight at the diverse gathering of individuals from across Nigeria and abroad, lauding Samson Ogbole for empowering over 1,000 young farmers through quarterly training sessions. He applauded Ogbole’s leadership in building capacity, enhancing skills, and generating income and foreign exchange, hailing the Soilless Farm Lab as a shining example of successful public-private collaboration worthy of national replication.
Additionally, the governor acknowledged the Alawo of Awowo, Oba Abdul-Fatai Olasunkanmi Tijani, for his support towards the town’s development and his early embrace of the Soilless Farm Lab concept proposed by Ogbole.
Oba Olasunkanmi Tijani praised Governor Abiodun’s administration for prioritizing the well-being of monarchs in the state, expressing gratitude for the governor’s support in establishing the farm despite initial refusal from the previous administration.
Earlier, Samson Ogbole highlighted the farm’s achievements, noting that the work-and-learn program began in September 2020 and has since trained over 10,000 individuals by November 2022. In the last 18 months, the farm has trained 6,000 young people from 28 states, including foreigners from Cameroon and Togo.
He explained, “In every state we go to set up a farm, we offer free training. We use the free training to get workers for free. But as they work for free, they are also learning for free. So, we tagged it ‘Work and Learn’.”