***As Agric Budget Soars from ₦4bn to ₦70bn
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has made a bold move to transform the state into Nigeria’s leading food hub, raising the agriculture budget from a modest ₦4 billion to an unprecedented ₦70 billion.
The governor’s decision marks a major shift in Edo’s economic priorities, with a clear focus on food security, job creation, and self-sufficiency.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Fred Itua in a statement said since assuming office, Governor Okpebholo has rolled out large-scale agricultural projects across the three senatorial districts of the state, backed by massive investments in equipment, seeds, and fertilizer.
Explaining further the statement indicated that already, three mega farms—each covering 3,000 hectares—are being developed in Edo South (Ovia Axis) where Rice, maize, cassava, and vegetable cultivated aimed at feeding local and external markets, Edo Central where plantations are being expanded for yam, cocoa, and beans and
Edo North where Large-scale groundnut, soya, and grain projects are being cultivated that have begun employing local farmers.
“This is not a campaign promise; it’s a deliberate action plan to fight hunger, reduce food prices, and make Edo self-reliant,” the governor said.
“Farmers across the state have begun to feel the impact. Tractors have been deployed to rural communities, fertilizers distributed, and previously idle farmlands are being revived for commercial production.”
One farmer in Owan West expressed joy, saying, “Before, we used hoes and cutlasses. Now we have tractors. This governor understands farming.”
Governor Okpebholo’s agricultural drive is part of his broader economic reform agenda aimed at diversifying Edo’s economy and reducing dependence on oil and imports.
Officials say the first wave of harvests from the new farms will hit local markets in the coming weeks, with some produce already being prepared for export to neighbouring states.
From hunger to harvest, and from budget to bounty, Edo is on its way to becoming Nigeria’s new food basket.