Adebayo Adenrele
As Ekiti State and the country at large anticipate the festive period, the Governor of the State, Biodun Oyebanji, has urged young farmers and beneficiaries of the N1bn fund under its flagship ‘Bring Back the Youth into Agriculture’ programme to reinvest their earnings in their agribusinesses rather than spending them on frivolities.
Oyebanji stated this in Ado-Ekiti, after disbursing a total of ₦1 billion to about 5,000 young farmers under its flagship ‘Bring Back the Youth into Agriculture’ programme, as part of a broader plan to generate ₦50 billion in annual agricultural profits by 2030.
Governor Biodun Oyebanji presented cheques to beneficiaries, marking another milestone in the state’s public-private partnership with YSJ Farms aimed at repositioning agriculture as a profitable venture for young people.
Speaking at the event, Oyebanji described the initiative as a deliberate shift from subsistence farming to agribusiness driven by innovation, scale and sustainability.
He recalled that the programme began in 2024 with 911 participants and ₦145 million in profits, but has grown to over 5,000 youths in 2025, recording a 700 per cent increase in profits to ₦1 billion.
The Governor, represented by his Chief of Staff, Niyi Adebayo, urged beneficiaries to reinvest their earnings, adopt modern technologies and expand their operations, stressing that the programme was designed to deliver long-term prosperity rather than short-term gains.
He said, “This gathering is not just about the presentation of cheques; it is about celebrating the triumph of our youths, validating our belief in agriculture as a viable economic pathway, and reaffirming our administration’s commitment to inclusion and sustainable development.
“In economic terms, this is increasing returns to scale. We are not only increasing the number of participants, we are also increasing productivity per participant.
“This is not the time to think you have arrived. Don’t do Hennessy with it, don’t do oblee with it, reinvest, expand your operations, adopt modern technologies and best practices and build sustainable agribusinesses that can stand the test of time”.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Ebenezer Boluwade, disclosed that the programme has expanded to 12 agricultural hubs across the state, with interventions including free land clearing of up to 5,000 hectares, provision of farm inputs, round-the-clock security, construction of five dams, buses for participants and solar-powered irrigation systems to enable year-round farming.
He revealed that the state plans to scale the programme to 50,000 youths by 2030, with a projected annual agricultural turnover of ₦50 billion.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Youth Development, Gold Adebayo, said the initiative goes beyond cheque distribution, describing it as a strategic response to youth unemployment, poverty reduction and economic development.
On her part, the Chief Executive Officer of YSJ Farms, Oluwayemisi Joluwe, noted that interest in the programme continues to grow, adding that it has already spread across the South-West and would soon be extended to other regions of the country.
Some beneficiaries, including Johnson Owoeye and Mayowa Michael, expressed appreciation to the state government for providing security and other forms of support, which they said have made farming more attractive.
They, however, appealed for increased mechanisation from 2026 to further boost productivity and sustain the gains recorded so far.
