The Ogun State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the 2027 general election and Senator representing Ogun West, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, has empowered 2,557 farmers across the state with farm equipment, inputs, and cash grants to boost food production.
The empowerment programme, held on Tuesday at the Asade Agunloye Pavilion, Ilaro, is the second edition of the Senator’s agricultural support initiative.
Speaking at the event, Senator Adeola said the initiative was designed to address challenges of low productivity, high cost of implements, and limited access to finance facing farmers in the state.
He noted that the programme aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda and Food Security policy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Beneficiaries received:
– 10 tractors with full attachments
– 250 haulage tricycles
– 1,500 knapsack sprayers
– 8,000 bags of NPK and Urea fertilizer
– 1,000 solar and gasoline water pumps
– 1,000 seed planters
– 17 power tillers
– Seeds, seedlings, organic fertilizers, and other tools
In addition, each of the 2,557 farmers received a cash grant of N100,000 to support farm operations.
Senator Adeola highlighted the Federal Government milestones in agriculture, including the N100 billion National Agriculture Development Fund, the “Earn From the Soil” project, and the allocation of N350 billion for dam irrigation and reticulation nationwide to enable all-year-round farming.
He also disclosed that N12 billion has been budgeted for a new Ministry of Livestock Development, with ranches planned for Ogun and six other states.
He further cited the acquisition of 2,000 tractors nationwide under the federal government’s mechanization drive.
On inflation, the Senator said reforms around subsidy removal and foreign exchange have yielded results.
“From an inflation rate of 31.70% in February 2024, the headline inflation rate stood at 15.91% as at June 2026. This is about a 50% drop. Different market surveys also indicate a significant drop in prices of some basic food items. The hitherto ‘Ebi npa wa o’ chant has virtually died down in society,” he stated.
He added that President Tinubu’s target of three farming seasons annually is being pursued through massive irrigation projects, with the Ogun-Osun River Basin Authority expected to benefit.
Senator Adeola, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Appropriations, commended Governor Dapo Abiodun for complementing federal efforts through N700 million in inputs, free farmland for youths, the Ogun State Farmers Information System, and the operational Agro Cargo Airport.
He recalled that in the maiden edition of his empowerment programme, 5,910 farmers benefited directly or through shared equipment, including 20 tractors, 184 tricycles, and over 10,000 bags of fertilizer.
The Senator urged beneficiaries not to sell the inputs but to use them to increase production across at least three farming seasons annually. He disclosed that a central management team will oversee the tractors and motorized equipment to ensure sustainability.
Declaring that he will sustain the programme if elected governor in 2027, Senator Adeola promised more capacity-building training and empowerment initiatives capable of producing “billionaire farmers in Ogun”.
He reaffirmed his commitment to infrastructural development, healthcare, education, and security in Ogun West Senatorial District.
