By Mercy Olamide

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Agribusiness investors in Ondo State have called for urgent government intervention to address unrest in the state’s forest reserves, warning that the situation could jeopardise existing investments and discourage future interest in the agricultural sector.

At the centre of the controversy is the Oluwa Forest Reserve, where a group of protesting farmers from Odigbo Local Government area recently accused SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited of land grabbing and forceful eviction. The protest, which has drawn significant public attention, is raising concerns among key investors.

Addressing journalists in Akure on Monday, the Vice President of SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited, Mr. David Olijogun, expressed deep concern over what he described as “false and damaging claims” by the protesting farmers. He clarified that his firm was legally allocated 10,000 hectares of land within the reserve by the Ondo State Government and holds a valid Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) issued in 2021.

Olijogun warned that the ongoing tensions, if left unresolved, could escalate into a broader crisis that would severely damage the state’s reputation as a viable destination for agribusiness. He noted that such unrest threatens to undermine federal initiatives promoting large-scale oil palm cultivation—a key focus of the national agricultural diversification plan.

“This project is not just about Ondo State,” he said. “It is part of a wider initiative that extends to Edo, Oyo, Osun, and Cross River States. If the government does not step in and halt this illegality, many investors will lose confidence. Personally, I returned from the United Kingdom to contribute to Nigeria’s development through agriculture. But if this persists, I—and others like me—will be forced to reconsider.”

He added that SAO Agro-Allied has already planted over 130,000 oil palm seedlings, expected to start fruiting by next year, and plans to plant an additional 100,000. The company’s operations, he said, have created job opportunities for local youth and promise long-term economic benefits for the state.

Olijogun maintained that the protesting farmers are illegally occupying the land and questioned how the state could have issued his firm a C-of-O while allegedly granting similar claims to other parties without proper documentation.

Also speaking at the briefing, Chief Henry Oladunjoye, Executive Secretary of the Red Gold Forum, accused the Ondo State Internal Revenue Service (ODIRS) of complicity in the dispute. He alleged that the agency has been collecting levies from both legal investors and illegal occupants—an action he described as undermining the state’s regulatory credibility.

According to Oladunjoye, the Federal Government had allocated 100,000 hectares of idle forest reserve land in Ondo State to support oil palm development, with SAO Agro-Allied Services granted 10,000 hectares as part of that programme.

“The company pays N40 million annually in taxes and has so far invested over N15 billion into the project,” he said. “If the palm seedlings currently in nurseries are not planted soon due to these disturbances, the company risks losing up to N6 billion. That would be a massive blow not just to SAO, but to the state economy.”

The investors jointly appealed to the Ondo State Government to intervene swiftly to protect legitimate agribusiness operations, ensure peace in the forest reserve areas, and safeguard the state’s agricultural future.