Oyo launches $37m agro-processing zone to boost agribusiness, job creation
The Oyo state government says 3,000 hectares of land have been set aside at the Ijaiye Farm Settlement for the development of a Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) and an international wholesale food market modelled after Rungis in France.
The projects, backed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), are expected to drive value addition, reduce post-harvest losses, and expand market access for farmers across the state.
Debo Akande, director-general of the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency, disclosed this at a stakeholder meeting held on Wednesday in Atan-Ijaiye, Akinyele local government area.
He was represented by Kolawole Badmus, permanent secretary of the agency.
In a statement issued on Thursday by Sulaimon Olanrewaju, special adviser to the governor on media, Akande said the initiative aligns with Governor Seyi Makinde’s vision to deepen agribusiness and improve rural livelihoods.
He explained that of the 7,581 hectares within the Ijaiye Farm Settlement, 3,000 hectares had been designated for the twin projects.
“The AfDB-backed Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone and the wholesale market, styled after the Rungis International Food Wholesale Market, when completed, would provide opportunities for farmers to get greater value for their farming investments,” he said.
He cited the Fasola Agribusiness Industrial Hub as a working model that is already yielding results for farmers in Oyo and Oke Ogun zones.
“For decades, our farmers laboured only to be ripped off by middlemen or to watch their produce rot on farms. This project changes that narrative by providing structured processing and export opportunities,” he said.
Akande added that large volumes of cassava and cashew currently leave the state without commensurate benefit to producers. The new infrastructure, he said, would reverse that trend.
“Our farmers will benefit 100 percent from what they produce,” he said.
Responding to concerns raised by some farmers over alleged lack of consultation, Akande noted that stakeholder engagements began in 2020. He said existing records of crops and farmlands would guide enumeration and compensation.
“We know they are apprehensive, but this is a different governor—one with compassion and a passion for agriculture. Farmers at Fasola had similar fears, yet today the hub is fully operational with their cocoa, cashew, and other crops intact,” he said.
He also announced that a sod-turning ceremony will hold on Saturday, following the completion of survey work by the Surveyor-General’s Office.
Akinwole Akinleye, chairman of Akinyele local government area, described the development as a catalyst for economic growth in the council and across Oyo state.
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