Ondo, FAO to advance partnership on food security, youth empowerment
The government of Ondo State has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations to advance food security, youth empowerment, and land reforms.
Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa gave the assurance on Monday while receiving the FAO Representative in Nigeria and to ECOWAS, Dr. Hussein Gadain, and his team on a courtesy visit to his office in Akure.
Aiyedatiwa commended FAO for its support since the launch of its intervention programmes in July 2024, particularly in providing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for forest mapping, advocacy, and farmer training. He pledged more cooperation in land allocation for farmers, youth engagement in agribusiness, and budgetary support for agricultural initiatives.
The governor emphasised the need to establish land allocation committees at the local government level to resolve scarcity and encroachment, describing land as a “very scarce factor of production.” He also called for the revival of youth-focused farming schemes to encourage generational renewal in agriculture.
Welcoming new FAO funding opportunities, Aiyedatiwa described them as vital to accelerating Ondo’s agricultural development and expressed optimism about greater progress in the coming months.
Earlier, Dr. Gadain commended Ondo State for its partnership with FAO, explaining that his visit was to review ongoing projects and explore new areas of collaboration in food systems, sustainable agriculture, and natural resources management.
He highlighted two major FAO projects currently benefitting the state: the GEF7 Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration (FOLUR) project in Ondo and Cross River States, and the GEF7 Biodiversity project covering Ondo, Edo, Delta, and Ogun States.
According to him, FAO’s interventions in Ondo include establishing a GIS laboratory, reviving extension services, introducing farmer field and business schools, facilitating policy dialogue on land access, and creating solar-powered nurseries producing millions of seedlings. He added that 3,800 hectares of degraded forests had already been restored, with another one million seedlings set for delivery.
