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Ekiti Clears 4,500 Hectares for Farming, Establishes New Farm Clusters and Youth Hubs

NigeriaGazette 
July 16, 2025 

The Ekiti State Government has cleared over 4,500 hectares of land across the state to boost food production and reduce the burden of land preparation for smallholder farmers.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Ebenezer Boluwade, disclosed this while giving an update on land development efforts under Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration.

According to him, one of the early challenges identified by the administration was the lack of cleared farmland accessible to local farmers and rural communities, a barrier that made farming difficult due to the capital-intensive nature of land clearing.

“The government took it upon itself to shoulder this burden. His Excellency, Governor Biodun Oyebanji, has invested heavily in land clearing operations across the state, and today we’ve added over 4,500 hectares of cleared land to what we met on ground,” Boluwade stated.

He explained that Ekiti now operates three key categories of agricultural development schemes:

Farm Settlements and Centres:
These are legacy farm estates established during the era of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Michael Ajasin under the old Western Region and Ondo State. Existing settlements in Orin, Eporo, Osin, Iyemero, and Gede have received renewed attention from successive governments, including the current administration, which has added more arable land to these areas. Boluwade confirmed that all the available space in these settlements has now been fully leased to investors.

Farm Clusters:
A fresh initiative introduced by the current administration, farm clusters are targeted at cooperatives, associations, anchor schemes, youth groups, and communities. “So far, we have created about 115 farm clusters, with more in the pipeline,” he said.

Youth Farm Hubs (BBYA):
Under the “Bring Back Our Youths in Agriculture” (BBYA) programme, the state has established 12 youth-dedicated farm hubs located in Eporo, Ose, Ise, Ikere, Ado, Aramoko, Ogotun, Oke Ako, Iyemero, Gede, Egbe, and Omuo. The hubs have already seen the clearing of approximately 2,300 hectares for cultivation by young farmers.

Boluwade noted that the programme is not only addressing food security but also tackling insecurity in rural areas by actively engaging youths and communities in productive ventures.

To ensure safety on the farms and protect investment in these cleared lands, the government is increasing the deployment of Agro Rangers, Amotekun Corps, and Grazing Management Marshals.

He added that more innovative layers will soon be introduced on top of these initiatives to guarantee sustainability and drive long-term impact.

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