Ondo state officials and FAO representatives discuss food security and land reforms at a formal event.
By Damilola Isaiah, Akure
The Ondo State Government under the leadership of Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has partnered with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations to promote food security, youth empowerment and land reforms in the state.
Governor Aiyedatiwa also pledge full collaboration with FAO in addressing the challenges facing food security.
He made this pledge in Akure, the state capital while receiving a team led by the FAO Representative in Nigeria and to ECOWAS, Dr. Hussein Gadain, on a courtesy visit to his office.
Governor Aiyedatiwa assured the FAO of the state’s readiness to collaborate further, especially in areas of land allocation for farmers, youth recruitment into agribusiness and budgetary support for the projects, emphasizing the importance of setting up land allocation committees at the local government level to resolve issues of encroachment and land scarcity.
He said “Land is a very scarce factor of production. Many people are looking for land for expansion, while new entrants are coming in and the land size remains the same. With the land allocation committee at the local government level, it will guarantee ownership and reduce land grabbing and encroachment.”
“Most farmers are getting old. Before they retire, it is better to start training younger ones. We had Youth on Ridges in the last administration where land was provided and cleared for young people to farm. We need to revisit that deliberately and intentionally”, the Governor said.
In his remark, the FAO Representative in Nigeria and to ECOWAS, Dr. Hussein Gadain, expressed appreciation to the governor and people of Ondo State for the partnership with the organisation.
Gadain explained that his visit was to review the progress of FAO’s interventions in Ondo State and explore new areas of collaboration in line with the state’s priorities in food security, sustainable agriculture, climate resilience and natural resources management.
He noted that FAO had enjoyed a longstanding partnership with Nigeria since 1960; with its country office established in 1978 and explained that Ondo State was benefitting from two major ongoing projects.
“The first is the GEF7 Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration (FOLUR) project implemented in Ondo and Cross River States with a grant from the Global Environment Facility. The second, approved in May 2025, is the GEF7 Biodiversity project covering Ondo, Edo, Delta and Ogun States, aimed at conserving biodiversity, restoring degraded forests and supporting local livelihoods,” he said.
