Ogun empowers over 72,000 residents with agric skills
admin
The Ogun State government has disclosed that it has empowered over 72,000 residents of the state through various agricultural support and skills development programmes under the State Economic Transformation Project, a five-year World Bank-assisted programme which winds up on 31 December 2025.
The beneficiaries, according to the state government, include 39,000 individuals trained under the skills programme and 33,075 farmers supported with inputs, feeds, mechanisation services, and others.
The Chairman of the Project Steering Committee, Mr. Dapo Okubadejo, disclosed this on Monday during the 8th and final Implementation Support Mission of the OGSTEP project held in Abeokuta.
Okubadejo, who is also the Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun, said that the results recorded in the last five years reflected the bold economic vision of the state government to drive a comprehensive transformation that strengthens institutions, enhances human capital, and expands economic opportunities across the state.
He disclosed that the project has so far facilitated the issuance of more than 15,000 Certificates of Occupancy, rehabilitated seven zonal e-planning and land administration centres, and deployed a modern GIS/Remote Sensing platform that makes land processes more transparent and efficient.
In agriculture, Okubadejo revealed that in the last five years, “OGSTEP has directly supported 33,075 farmers statewide, including 27,547 crop farmers, 4,256 aquaculture farmers, and 1,272 poultry farmers. Support covered mechanisation of 9,014 hectares, delivery of 90,431 litres of agrochemicals, and 17,945 bags of fertilisers.
“Aquaculture farmers received 195,436 bags of nutritious fish feed, while poultry farmers benefited from 77,703 bags of poultry feed and rehabilitated poultry pens. To date, agribusiness firms have off taken 283,582 tonnes of agricultural produce under the project.”
He explained further that in the area of skills development, “OGSTEP has empowered over 39,000 individuals, including 1,400 STEM teachers, 100 Quality Assurance Officers, 120 technical instructors, over 4,000 vocational trainees, 120 ministry personnel, over 17,000 farmers, youths and women, and 60 artisans.
“Additionally, eight technical colleges were rehabilitated and upgraded, and laboratories for 22 flagship schools and four Education Resource Centres were fully rehabilitated and equipped, bringing the total number of institutions completed to 34.”
He stated that these achievements are a testament to the dedication of the Project Technical Committee, the Project Coordinator, the Sector Implementation Units, and the entire project team, whose professionalism and commitment have been central to the success of OGSTEP.
Okubadejo has therefore called on the beneficiaries of the programme to make judicious use of all the support they have received to further expand the frontier of economic prosperity of the state.
Also speaking at the event, the Chairman of the Project Technical Committee, Mr. Olaolu Olabimtan, described the achievements as a product of strong partnerships and disciplined implementation.
Olabimtan, who is the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, praised Governor Abiodun for providing the policy direction necessary for OGSTEP to thrive, while also commending the World Bank Task Team for its technical guidance.
“This final mission is a defining moment that reflects years of planning, hard work and collaboration. Governor Abiodun’s political will and steadfast support have been the bedrock of the project’s progress,” he declared.
OGSTEP Project Coordinator Mosunmola Owo-Odusi said that the World Bank-assisted programme had in the last five years fundamentally transformed the agricultural landscape in the state from predominantly peasant farmers operating at basic levels with limited market access to organised farmers with cooperative associations, CAC registrations and developed business plans, among others, leading to improved productivity.
Owo-Odusi said that the project has unlocked land value for citizens and government alike, creating wealth through improved land administration and recording significant progress in clearing the backlog of unprocessed land titles, while high-tech survey equipment and GIS/CORS infrastructure now span the entire state, transforming geospatial capacity.
She, however, declared that the sustainability of all these transformative initiatives rests primarily on the regulators and implementing agencies within the state government.
The Project Coordinator said, “As we close this chapter, we call upon line ministries, agencies, and all stakeholders to protect, maintain, and build upon these investments, ensuring that the transformation of lives continues.
“We are confident that the substantial investment deployed through OGSTEP will continue to multiply, generating returns for generations to come.”
She lauded Governor Abiodun, the World Bank officials and other members, ministries, departments and other agencies of the government, as well as members of the project implementation committee for the support, cooperation and dedication towards the successful implementation of the economic transformative programme.
The essence of OGSTEP, funded by the World Bank and which kicked off in 2020, was to increase private sector participation in the state’s economy and transform it into a thriving, high-income economy through strategic reforms and sustainable investments.
The project focuses on three main pillars, including improving the business-enabling environment, strengthening agri-food value chains and upgrading skills for rapid development.
Ultimately, the goal of OGSTEP is to foster sustainable economic growth and inclusive prosperity that benefits all citizens of the state, addressing key constraints to diversification and development.
