Residents of Ondo State have been urged to embrace agriculture as a sustainable solution to food insecurity.

The call was made by Special Adviser to the Ondo State Governor on Legislative Matters and Chief Executive Officer of Nibanola Motherland, Ajibayo Adeyeye during a visit by members of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Ondo State Council, to Nibanola Motherland.

Adeyeye, who holds professional qualifications in medicine and law, recounted his journey from practising these professions to establishing Nibanola Motherland.

The venture, which began as a cassava and maize farm, has since expanded to include poultry farming, palm tree plantations, cocoa, kolanut, piggery, fisheries, and resort facilities.

Highlighting the farm’s achievements, Adeyeye noted that its poultry, with a capacity of 65,000 birds, has become the largest producer of eggs in Ondo State, capable of generating up to 1,200 crates daily at full capacity.

He also detailed innovative practices such as repurposing poultry waste as fish feed for the farm’s dams.

However, Adeyeye identified the shortage of manpower as a significant challenge facing the agricultural sector, even with competitive wages.

Reflecting on his seven-year tenure in the state executive council, he also addressed the stalled egg powder factory project, attributing its inactivity to insufficient raw materials.

“The reality is that, unfortunately, the egg factory was conceived with the machinery to convert eggs to powder, but without considering the raw materials. That factory requires about 1 million eggs every day, and to produce 1 million eggs a day, you need at least 1.5 million birds laying at 70-75% capacity,” he explained.

“I think the government needs to rethink that project and, first, empower farmers to produce more before considering egg powder. Otherwise, we’ll have a factory that will not run. There will be no raw materials for it to work with,” he added.

Adeyeye also criticised the heavy reliance on imported food, asserting that staples such as rice, tomatoes, and peppers can be easily cultivated locally.

He described agriculture as a vast and untapped market and called on the media to champion the dissemination of ideas that promote its adoption.

Expressing optimism about the future of agriculture, he noted that economic realities are prompting more people to explore opportunities in the sector.

Adeyeye encouraged residents to embrace agriculture, describing it as a viable path to economic sustainability for individuals and the state.