The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has urged investors at the Oyo-owned Fashola Agribusiness Hub (FABH) to capitalise on the state’s agricultural endowments.
During an advocacy visit to the 1,200-hectare facility in Fashola Village along the Oyo-Iseyin road, Executive Director/CEO of the NEPC, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni emphasised the importance of maximising the state’s comparative advantage in agriculture, urging investors to register with the NEPC and inprove the lot of the country via non-oil export.
Representing Ayeni on the advocacy visit was Mrs. Bolanle Emmanuel, the
Oyo Coordinator of NEPC, who represented Ayeni, led the team to Fashola settlement, noting the significance of the visit, which aimed to assess agricultural output, share export information, and collect data on key investors.
The farm, which had been neglected for about 40 years, was revitalised under Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration to promote food security and agribusiness investments in the state.
Emmanuel commended the investors, stating “You have chosen the right time and place to invest, especially as the country shifts focus to non-oil exports.”
She also emphasised the need for investors to register with the NEPC and engage in value addition to their produce.
“Investors should embrace value addition and register as exporters with the NEPC to contribute to the realization of our ‘Operation Double Your Export’ mantra,” she said.
She further explained that the NEPC’s role is to promote non-oil exports and that the organisation builds the capacity of exporters through training programs and strategic partnerships. “NEPC is responsible for promoting non-oil exports, and we provide the necessary support for exporters to produce goods and services that meet international standards,” she enlightened.
She however encouraged investors to formalize their export operations and repatriate proceeds to benefit from NEPC’s export incentives. She highlighted the potential of the Bracharia plant, a high-demand crop that thrives in Oyo State’s climate, reaching maturity in just two months, compared to two years in other regions.
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During the visit, the Director of Youth Entrepreneurship in Agribusiness Programme (YEAP & STEP), Mr. Popoola Olusola, provided insights into the hub’s facilities and history.
He noted that the farm currently hosts 10 investors, including the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), which has planted seven cassava varieties on 70 hectares.
“The farm is a ‘home away from home’ for investors, with modern infrastructure such as cleared farmland, 22 hours of power supply, luxury homes, and leisure facilities under construction,” Popoola said, stating that the Oyo State government partners with IITA as both an investor and a technical partner at the hub.
Highlighting IITA’s contributions, Popoola shared that cassava varieties like Obasanjo-2, Game Changer, and TME 419 were planted in August and September 2023. “These high-yield cassava stems can be harvested multiple times, and farmers are trained to grow cassava year-round,” he explained.
Other investors also shared their experiences. Mr. Isaac Kamar, WAMCO’s farm manager, emphasised Oyo State’s unique advantage in growing Bracharia, which matures in two months locally, compared to two years in other regions.
“WAMCO purchases the largest volume of fresh milk from the hub and operates a milk collection center in Iseyin,” Kamar said, adding that Fulani herders have been trained to grow Bracharia to feed WAMCO’s cows.
Mr. Omotunde Henry, senior agronomist at Brown Hill Limited, explained that the company has harvested over two tons of tomatoes between July and September 2024 and plans to begin exporting tomato powder once processing equipment is cleared from Tincan Port. “Our goal is to produce tomato powder for export,” Henry stated.
The visit also revealed that FABH’s infrastructure supports various investors. Brown Sugar Limited is cultivating sugarcane on 20 hectares, and Zigma Farms Ltd operates a 30-hectare cashew plantation.
Mr. Wale Oluwole of Zigma Farms shared that the company is preparing to start processing cashew nuts and juice.
The Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA) has facilitated this investment-friendly environment by providing amenities such as a good road network, chalets for staff, clinics, and sports facilities.
NEPC’s team on the advocacy visit also included Mr. Adesina Olukotun, Head Product and Market Development and Miss Oluremi Agbaje staff of the same department and from Oyo State Government; Mr. Ajetunmobi, the Director Technical Services OYSADA and Mr. Badmos Emmanuel the Facility Manager, FABH.
Other investors on the Fashola farms include: Milking Ban Industry, African Agricultural Technology Foundation, AgricDrive and eFarms Limited.