Farmers in Osun State have appealed to the Federal Government to release local government allocation funds, stressing that the delay is hindering grassroots development and limiting the state government’s capacity to meet the needs of rural dwellers.
At the commissioning of the Osun State Farmers’ House and distribution of farm inputs to 300 rice farmers in Okebaale ,Osogbo on Thursday, a farmer, Suleimon Araokanmi, said the agricultural community recognises the state government’s efforts but wants the Federal Government to free up allocations to allow more interventions at the grassroots.
“We appreciate what Governor Ademola Adeleke has done for us farmers in every aspect — the tractors and other supports,” Araokanmi said.
“But we use this opportunity to beg the Federal Government to release the local government allocation funds, because the governor is not happy. He has not been sleeping well, he is really worried on behalf of the local people. Our governor wants to work, let him have access to the funds.”
Governor Adeleke, in his speech, reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to make agriculture a cornerstone of Osun’s economy, describing it as both the “history and backbone” of the state.
“Agriculture is not only our history, it remains the backbone of our economy. Thousands of our people depend on it daily for survival and prosperity. This is why our administration identified agro-industrial transformation as one of the five pillars of our development agenda,” the governor said.
He listed some of the administration’s efforts, including the distribution of pigs, broiler chicks, fertilisers, cassava stems, agrochemicals, cash crop seedlings and vegetable seeds, as well as the procurement of 31 tractors across the federal constituencies.
“We understand that farmers cannot thrive without good infrastructure. That is why we are investing heavily through Osun-CARES in rural road construction, rehabilitation, irrigation and storage facilities,” Adeleke said.
On the commissioning of the Farmers’ House, Adeleke said the project represents more than a physical structure. “It is a statement of our government’s commitment to farmers and to food security. Over 300 rice farmers will go home today with free paddy rice seeds to boost production in our state,” he said.
He assured farmers that his administration would not relent until food sufficiency is achieved in every household. However, Adeleke also urged farmers and residents to sustain the government’s agricultural strides by participating fully in the democratic process.
“The good works in agriculture and other sectors will only continue if we stand together to secure the future. Therefore, I use this medium to encourage you all to register, collect your voter cards. You must turn out in numbers during the 2026 governorship elections,” he said.
In his welcome address, Hon. Commissioner for Agriculture, Otunba Tola Faseru described the event as “historic,” noting that the foundation of the Farmers’ House was laid during the administration of former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola and completed under Adeleke. He praised the governor as “a talk-and-do and farmer-friendly leader,” whose policies have earned appreciation from farmers across the state.
“Towards the end of 2024, the state government unveiled 31 brand new tractors and distributed them to the nine federal constituencies after being tracked for security and monitoring purposes for the use of farmers across the state,” Faseru said. “The Ministry also freely distributed six thousand packs of Imole vegetable seedlings, eighty thousand litres of herbicides, eight thousand cassava cuttings, eighty thousand cashew seedlings and fertilizers to farmers across the state.”
He added that through the Osun-CARES initiative, thousands of farmers have benefitted from seedlings, agrochemicals, and empowerment programmes. “We trained youths, women and people with disabilities in pig production, and gave them piglets, working tools, feeds and stipends to kick-start their businesses. Poultry farmers through the Osun Broilers Out-grower Production Scheme were empowered to the tune of N8.6 million each,” the commissioner stated.
Faseru also announced that 300 rice farmers, carefully selected across the state, would receive paddy rice seeds, herbicides, and fertilisers. He said this would “boost food production and ensure food sufficiency in Osun State.”
