...wins prestigious Akoni Oodua
Agbeparapo Leadership Award
By Samuel Alonge
Standing in elegant traditional regalia, Chief Sir Engineer Abiodun Frederick Adejo spoke with calm composure and quiet astonishment, recalling how fate had taken his lifelong efforts in a direction he never anticipated.
“I was surprised,” he admitted, still absorbing the weight of the honour bestowed upon him by the revered Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, one of Yorubaland’s most venerated monarchs.
“The little things I was doing in my own corner, I didn’t know people were watching,” Adejo declared.
For decades, Adejo’s world has revolved not around titles or recognition, but around soil, sweat and service. A farmer by calling and conviction, he built what many now described as a self-sustaining agricultural hub—stretching across more than a thousand hectares and employing over 400 workers from across Nigeria.
Engineers, lawyers, labourers and traders all converge on his land, forming a rare ecosystem where professions blur and purpose unites. But beyond employment, Adejo’s vision runs deeper.
On his farm, workers are not just employees, they are stakeholders. Land is allocated for personal cultivation, livestock roam in integrated systems and food production spans everything from cassava to poultry. What began as a farm has quietly evolved into something far more ambitious: a community.
Locals have even given it a nickname, “Small London.”
The reason is not far-fetched. Within the rural expanse, Adejo has introduced electricity, piped water, housing and road infrastructure, amenities often absent in many Nigerian communities.
Each year, roads leading to the farm are repaired, not just for his benefit, but for neighbouring farmers who now depend on the improved access.
Yet, despite the scale of his achievements, Adejo insists his work is guided by something greater than ambition.
“God gives wealth for a reason. And that reason is to bless others,” he added.
It is a philosophy he has lived by, quietly channeling resources into ensuring those around him can eat, work and live with dignity. Recognition, he suggests, was never the goal.
That is what made the royal honour all the more striking.
“I have never had anything to do with Ife,” he said, still sounding puzzled. “So, I don’t know… it is God.”
Now in his 70s, Adejo stands as both a symbol and a warning in a country grappling with youth unemployment and food insecurity. His message to younger generations is urgent, almost pleading: return to the land.
“Everybody is a farmer,” he declared. “Without food, we cannot survive.”
He urges Nigerians, especially urban dwellers, to rethink their dependence on processed foods and embrace local produce. Cassava, yam and homegrown crops, he says, are not just healthier, but a pathway to independence.
To the youth, he declared that farming is not failure, it is freedom.
“Farming can make you a happy old man with a faint smile. Independent, healthy and at peace,” he said.
As he reflected on his life, on outliving many of his peers, on building something that now sustains hundreds, his tone softened into gratitude.
“It is not by my power. It is the work of God,” he said.
And perhaps that is the quiet force behind his story: not just a man who farmed the land, but one who cultivated a community, until even a king could no longer ignore it.
His dedication has not gone unnoticed. Honourable Akinloye Oguniyi Ebel, General Secretary of the Ondo State Agricultural Commodities Association OSACA, praised Chief Adejo’s philanthropic impact.
“Humanity is being reckoned with in terms of contribution towards the development of people around them and to the entire farmers of Ondo State,” he said.
“He is a father, a brother, a man who sees everybody as one.”
Family, colleagues and community members echoed this sentiment. Kunle Adejo, General Manager of Abiss Farm and Chief Adejo’s brother, called the award a “reflection of hard work and dedication”, while Olanipekun Victor, the farm’s Admin Manager, emphasised that “a wealth that cannot reflect in the life of others is useless wealth.
“Baba has devoted his life to blessing others.”
Vice Chairman, Women of OSACA, Farmer Taye Afilaka, hailed Chief Adejo as a “dynamic and practical” leader whose entrepreneurial acumen has shaped Ondo State’s oil palm and agriculture industry.
Even the coordinators of Akoni Oodua Global Service Limited noted his articulate, responsible and culturally rooted leadership, highlighting his commitment to giving back to the less privileged.
Behind the accolades and royal recognition, his wife, Lady Funmilola Adejo, expressed gratitude, urging women to support and pray for their husbands so that they may excel.
From the quiet fields of Ondo State to the halls of the Ooni’s palace, Chief Adejo’s story is one of humility, service and vision, a reminder that true leadership grows from the soil, nourished by hard work and a heart for people.
Represented by Arole Oodua of Ife, A.R.H Awofiranye Kayode J.P, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi Oja 11 showered royal prayers on Chief Adejo at the end of the occasion, held at the hall of Ile Nla in the palace.
The occasion also featured lecture presentation by the Dean of Faculty of Agriculture of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Prof. Femi Ajayi, who spoke on sustaining Good Security in the 21st Century: The Nigerian Perspective.
In his presentation, Ajayi warned that Nigeria’s food security is under serious threat, calling for urgent and coordinated action.
He stressed that food security is not just about production, but ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for all, explaining that the four pillars of food security, availability, accessibility, utilisation and are all currently under pressure.
Despite having vast farmland, Ajayi noted that Nigeria still faces food shortages due to rapid population growth, reliance on rain-fed agriculture and high post-harvest losses.
He identified key challenges such as climate change, insecurity, poor infrastructure and economic constraints.
Issues like flooding, desertification and farmer-herder conflicts, he affirmed, are reducing agricultural output and disrupting supply chains.
He also noted changing food patterns, with rising urban demand for processed foods and limited access to modern technology for rural farmers.
Additionally, Nigeria faces a “double burden” of malnutrition and obesity.
To address these issues, he recommended investing in irrigation, climate-smart farming, storage facilities and digital agricultural services.
He also emphasised empowering women and youth in agriculture.
Ajayi concluded that Nigeria has the resources to achieve food security but needs strong political will, better coordination and collective effort to succeed.