With the recent resolution of the Governors in South West Nigeria to prioritize agriculture as a sustainable solution to achieving food security in the South West in particular and Nigeria in general coupled with the immediate initiative of Osun State Governor, Asiwaju Senator Nurudeen Jackson Ademola Adeleke to be the first Governor to rollout the State's ambitious strategy to revolutionalise agriculture, agricpreneurship, and agricultural practices in the State.
Ijesa Community Development Assembly (ICDA) coincidentally shared similar vision, mission, and objective with both the South West Governors and Governor Asiwaju Senator Nurudeen Jackson Ademola Adeleke through the ICDA's initiative embarked upon since last year 2023 when ICDA took the bull by the horn in initiating a strategic partnership between ICDA and Leventis Foundation Nigeria School of Agriculture.
A partnership that results in the current training of about 100 Youth in modern agricultural practices and agricpreneurship at the Leventis Foundation Nigeria School of Agriculture based in Ilesa, Osun State.
These 100 Youth enrollees who will be completing their full residential course in December 2024 thereby provide a veritable and solid foundation upon which the vision and mission of Osun State Government to revolutionalise agriculture would surely be laid.
A giant step towards actualising the visionary and laudable agricultural revolution of Osun State was initiated yesterday, Tuesday 9th July 2024 when ICDA under the leadership of the Asiwaju Of Ijesaland, Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi convened the meeting of strategic stakeholders, Osun State Ministry of Agriculture; Chairmen of LGAs in Ijesaland; Representatives of Traditional Rulers in Ijesaland; Leventis Foundation Nigeria School of Agriculture; and ICDA paid a site evaluation visit and meeting to the Osun State Farm Settlement Esa-Oke originally established by Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo as one of the five Farm Settlements in the old Western Region in 1961.
The joint visit of these key Stakeholders to the Farm Settlement assisted the team to inspect the state of infrastructure at this 400- hectares such as road network, electricity, water supply, security, and Internet services. The visit also assisted in inspecting the state of the facilities such as classrooms, produce stores, health centers, recreation center, etc.
Same visit further afforded the team to meet and interact with some of the Settlers in the Farm Settlement.
At the meeting held within the dilapidated classroom of the Farm Settlement, the Asiwaju Of Ijesaland, Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi reiterated the mission of the visit which is to join hands with the Osun State Government in restoring the infrastructure and facilities at the Farm Settlement to support the prompt realisation of the green revolution plans of the State Governor.
The Permanent Secretary of Osun State Ministry of Agriculture, Alhaji M.A. Olawale revealed at the meeting of the numerous giant steps that the State Governor has taken towards implementing his promise to revolutionalise agriculture in the State. Key amongst such steps are the full payment and order placed for the delivery of 32 units of brand new Tractors in the State within the next one week. In addition to this the meeting was informed that the Governor has approved fund for the immediate repairs of the only four inherited Tractors in the State. This was in addition to giving promise to supply other key farm inputs to facilitate the takeoff of the recruitment of 30,000 Youths into agricultural practices in Osun State.
The Principal of Leventis Foundation Nigeria School of Agriculture, Dr Muhedeen Popoola enumerated the various technical services and support such as building Demonstration Centers within the Farm Settlement in addition to deploying Agriculture Extension Services Officers from Leventis Foundation Nigeria School of Agriculture to the Farm Settlement as part of its corporate support to the takeoff of the Esa-Oke Farm Settlement. The extension of the Leventis Foundation Nigeria School of Agriculture microcredit scheme to the Farm Settlement shall also be explored.
The Local Govt Chairmen pledged their readiness to deploy material and financial resources to the realisation of optimising the utilisation and potentials of the Farm Settlement. The Chairmen of the 12 LGAs/LCDAs assured of their willingness and readiness to take up responsibilities assigned to them in the emerging rehabilitation plan of the Farm Settlement. It was further suggested that the 12 LGAs/LCDAs would be willing to present the Esa-Oke Farm Settlement to the State Government as the recipient of all financial, infrastructural, and material supports has for the takeoff of the State's Agricultural Revolution in Ijesaland. Moreover, the LGAs Chairmen are canvassing that the Farm Settlement be divided among the Local Govts in order to allow them COMPETE in optimal utilisation and resultant food sufficiency production for Ijesaland, Osun State, Nigeria, and world at large.
The President of Ijesa North Traditional Council, HRM Oba Hakeem Olusayo Ogungbamgbe shared reminiscences of his visit experience to the Farm Settlement in 1984 and remarked that with the vast land resources available in the Farm Settlement, that the Farm has the capacity not only to sufficiently feed Osun State but the entire country if the good intentions of Governor Asiwaju Senator Nurudeen Jackson Ademola Adeleke materialise and which he is sure would soon come to pass.
The Elegboro of Ijebu-jesa, HRM Oba Moses Olufemi Agunsoye responded to the security challenges being faced by the Settlers and assured them that the Traditional Institutions in Ijesaland shall continue to work round the clock in supporting the State Government to strengthen the security architecture of the Farm Settlement especially from the herders.
The representative of the Farm Settlers, Elder Adelowo Adewumi expressed the profound gratitude and excitement of the Farm Settlement Community for the August visit of the Key Stakeholders and took advantage of the opportunity to enumerate the serious challenges of unmotorable roads in the Farm Settlement; loss of valuable farm produce due to inability to get them to the markets and prospective consumers; lack of drinkable water as the only source of water supply to the Farm Settlement has been polluted by the activities of the herders; unusable dilapidated building infrastructure that are no longer capable of servicing their original purposes; lack of electricity supply to the farm since the only transformer broke down about 10 years ago; and absence of Internet services to enable members of the Farm Community relate with the rest people of the world.
Elder Adelowo Adewumi who is a retired Permanent Secretary from the Osun State Ministry of Agriculture further lamented that currently the Farm Settlement has no means of getting drinkable water since the breakdown of the pumping machine used in drawing water from the only borehole in the Farm. And that several past efforts to repair the pump machine have failed hence, it's unserviceable.
The overall goal of the mission was to support the good initiative of His Excellency, Senator Asiwaju Nurudeen Jackson Ademola Adeleke in finding out how this grossly under-utilised 400-Hectare Farm Settlement can be revitalised by all Stakeholders such as the Federal Government, Osun State Government; the 12 LGAS/LCDAs in Ijesaland; Ijesaland Community; Leventis Foundation Nigeria School of Agriculture; and other Development Partners as a low hanging opportunity to kickstart the noble mission of Osun State Government.
In his closing remarks, the meeting convener and Asiwaju of Ijesaland, Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi promised to donate a brand new water pumping machine to replace the faulty, unrepairable machine in order to restore supply of drinking water from the only available water borehole in the Farm Settlement.
Participants at the stakeholders meeting included the convener, Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi, The Asiwaju of Ijesaland and The ICDA Chairman; Alagba Wale Idowu, ICDA member; The Traditional Rulers in Ijesaland, HRM Oba Dr. Akeem Olusayo Ogungbamgbe, The President Ijesa North Traditional Council and Owaloko of Iloko-Ijesa; HRM Oba Adeyemi Adediran; Owa Omiran of Esa Oke and HRM Oba Engr.Moses Oluwafemi Agunsoye; Elegboro of Ijebu Jesa.
It also featured Nine (9) Local Government Chairmen in Ijesaland, Hon. Adediran Adewumi Akika, Atakumosa East; Hon. Dada Ajibola, Atakumosa West; Hon.Oladiti Aluko, Ilesa West; Hon. Wahab Arewa, Ilesa West Central; Hon. Ogedengbe Olufunso, Ilesa North East; Hon Adekunle Adeoti, Obokun East LCDA; Hon Alade Ibironke Dangote, Atakumosa East Central; Hon Taiwo Adeyekun- Oriade LGA and Hon Taiwo Ilesanmi, Ilesa East.
Representatives of Osun State Ministry of Agriculture in attendance were Mr. M.A. Olawale, Permanent Secretary, Agriculture, Osun State; Mr Adegbite, Director of Produce; Dr (Mrs) Abosede Olatokun; Director of Veterinary Services; Mr Abimbola Alao, Director of Finance & Accounts; Mr Oguntoye Gesinde, Director of Livestock Services; Mr Eleyele Gbadebo, Director of Agricultural Services; Mr Adesina Olalekan, Director of Planning Research & Statistics; Mr Lawal Abiodun; Director of Fishery Services, Mrs Yetunde Ajetumobi; Information Officer/PRO and media practitioners.
Members of Leventis Foundation Nigeria School of Agriculture who were in attendance include, Dr Y.M Popoola, The Principal Leventis Foundation, Ilesa; Mr.Ogunlade Adeniyi; Head of Department, Agricultural Engineering; Mr Ojewale Oluwatosin; Crop Department and Dr Apolo Samson; Head of Department, Livestocks.
The farm settlers who attended the meeting include Mr.Adepoju Ademurewa, The President Settlers Association, Mrs Olagunju Deborah, The Secretary Settlers Association; Elder Adelowo Adewumi, Mr Ashaolu Opeyemi, The Farm Settlement Officer and other members such as Mr Rasheed Tijani, Mr Joachim Falomo Kayanfada, Mr. Ojo Omoniyi, Mr Ogunleye Oluwasegun, Mr Samuel Adeloye, Mr Ariyibi Stephen, Mrs Ajimobi Racheal, Mr Taiwo Alabi, Mrs Rafiyatu Raji, Mrs Joseph Grace, Mrs Omoniyi Comfort, Mr Adepoju Ademurewa, Mrs Olagunju Deborah, Mrs Esther Alegbeleye, Mrs Julianah Adeloye, Mrs Oke Oladipupo, Mr Bakare Ebenezer, Mr Muideen Olateju, Mr Dagunduro Joshua, Mr Owofadeju Sogo, Mr Murtala Adisa , Mr Folorunso Olawuyi, Mr Olowookere J.O, Mrs Omolara Ogunleye, Mr Oni Damilola, Mr Jose Victor, Mr Omeruah Ike, Mr Aleigwe Kelechi and Mr Fadairo Olusegun.
Please find below some of the pictures and videos of the one-day visit and meeting.
Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi
The Asiwaju Of Ijesaland,
Chairman, ICDA,
Oke Baba Okuta Villa, Ilesa.
10th July, 2024.
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Daniel Adewole Awe Medical Center is a healthcare facility located in Ilesa, Osun State, providing quality primary and secondary healthcare services to the community and its environs.
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