The Oyo State Government has announced plans to engage no fewer than 700 youths in its agribusiness and farmer support programmes in 2026 as part of efforts to address unemployment and curb irregular migration.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Olasunkanmi Olaleye, disclosed this on Friday in Ibadan while outlining the state’s agricultural interventions for the year.
Olaleye said the youth-focused initiative is being implemented in partnership with Denmark and the European Union through the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).
According to him, the programme will support returning migrants and young people from host communities with access to farmland, agricultural inputs, stipends and market opportunities.
“The primary aim of the project is to discourage irregular migration. Some of the beneficiaries will be returning migrants, while others will be selected from communities where the project will be implemented.
“Beneficiaries will be allocated land, supported with inputs and stipends, and market assets will be created to support their production,” he said.
Olaleye said the project would be located in the Oke-Ogun zone of the state and is designed to provide sustainable livelihoods that reduce the incentive for irregular migration.
He noted that the initiative forms part of broader efforts by the state government to expand agribusiness, boost food production and strengthen farmers’ capacity across the state.
The commissioner said Governor Seyi Makinde had directed that farmers should not be pressured over loan repayments, adding that repayment timelines had been extended to encourage greater participation in farming during the current season.
He disclosed that the state supported cultivation on about 32,000 acres of farmland under its mechanization programme, including 10,000 acres dedicated to maize production.
According to him, improved agricultural output has resulted in the movement of more than 34,000 tonnes of cassava out of the state through the Ibarapa axis by December 2025.
Olaleye attributed the growth to the distribution of about 65,000 bundles of cassava stems between 2024 and 2025, adding that further support has been mapped out for 2026 to stabilize food prices.
He also revealed that the state is developing the Oyo State Agricultural Information Management System, which will feature a virtual market linking farmers directly with buyers to eliminate middlemen.
“The platform will also capture data on farm locations, crops and support needs to guide government interventions. It is expected to be operational before mid-year.
“A farmer will be able to upload the location of his farm, what he is planting and the kind of support he needs,” Olaleye said.
The commissioner said more than 24,000 farmers were trained through soil testing and capacity-building programmes in 2025, while over 8,000 farmers across 48 communities had been trained as of January 2026.
He added that the programme, implemented in partnership with OCP Fertilizer, would be extended to 100 additional communities through the state’s extension officers.
Olaleye said over 12,000 bags of fertilizer were distributed to farmers in the 2024/2025 farming season, compared to more than 9,000 bags in the previous year, with beneficiaries paying 50 per cent of the cost.
He also noted that technology has been deployed in tractor hiring services through the Hello Tractor application, enabling real-time monitoring of farm operations.
According to him, agribusiness hubs such as Fasola, SMPZ Ijaye and Eruwa are being strengthened to integrate smallholder and medium-scale farmers into supply chains for agro-processing companies.
Olaleye said the overall goal is to deploy agriculture as a tool for job creation, food security and youth retention, while addressing the economic drivers of irregular migration.
