A former Senior Special Assistant on Agriculture and Agribusiness in Ondo State, Pastor Akin Olotu, has called on Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to consolidate and sustain the agricultural reforms initiated under the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, warning that discontinuity could erode hard-earned gains in the sector.
In an open letter addressed to the governor, Olotu said his stewardship under Akeredolu was guided by a clear economic doctrine: transitioning agriculture in Ondo State from subsistence practices to structured agro-industrialisation. He argued that global evidence shows nations that have achieved macroeconomic stability in agriculture are those that deliberately moved away from peasant-dominated systems to commercial, value-chain-driven models.
According to him, what was initiated during the Akeredolu administration was “systemic repositioning,” not episodic interventions.
● The Red Gold Vision
Central to the reforms was the Red Gold Project, originally conceptualised as Oil Palm City, built around Ondo State’s comparative advantage in tree crops such as oil palm, cocoa, cashew, rubber and coffee. Olotu explained that these crops were identified as strategic economic assets capable of long-term revenue stabilisation and employment elasticity.
He described the 100,000-hectare oil palm target as ambitious but economically rational, noting that Akeredolu publicly framed the initiative as a generational investment whose dividends might mature beyond electoral cycles. Oil palm, branded as Ondo’s “Red Gold” in contrast to crude oil’s “Black Gold,” was positioned as a high-value crop with applications in food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, biofuel and industrial inputs.
Olotu said the project received national validation, including acknowledgement by the Central Bank of Nigeria and discussions at the Federal Executive Council level under former President Muhammadu Buhari. He added that Ondo was rated among the top three states in job creation at the time.
He recalled that the National Economic Council Monitoring Team, during a nationwide tour, required states to present projects employing at least 100 to 200 workers with export or import substitution potential. According to him, when the team visited just two Red Gold project sites, they found thousands of workers and declared they had seen sufficient evidence of impact.
He further noted that Nigeria spends substantial foreign exchange on importing oil palm products annually, stressing that the state’s initiative offered significant export and import substitution potential. He maintained that the projects were pursued with integrity and without financial inducements.
● Cocoa, Livestock and Youth Empowerment
Beyond oil palm, Olotu said over two million improved cocoa seedlings were distributed across the state, describing the intervention as unprecedented. A professional certification programme in oil palm agronomic management was also introduced to upskill agricultural graduates and build technical manpower.
He stated that indigenous investors across small, medium and large scales were deliberately supported, and that the employment footprint generated under the agricultural reforms surpassed the size of the state civil service.
In livestock, Olotu cited the Southwest’s daily consumption of approximately 12,000 cattle and the resultant outflow of billions of naira from the region. To address this, he said an F1 crossbreeding initiative between Sokoto Gudali and Brazilian Girolando breeds was launched at the ISUADA/ABC Farm to improve domestic dairy and beef productivity.
He also referenced a 50-sow piggery nucleus in Akure North, equipped with advanced European systems, structured as a genetic improvement hub for replication across the state.
During disruptions in northern tomato supply chains, Olotu claimed that at a point, over 40 per cent of tomatoes entering Lagos markets originated from Ondo farms, attributing this to coordinated agricultural planning.
● Poultry Processing and Value Addition
Olotu disclosed that plans were made for a 500,000-egg-per-day powder processing plant to absorb cyclical poultry surpluses, describing it as the first initiative of such scale in Sub-Saharan Africa. He added that poultry outputs under the Igba Otun Broiler Scheme were to be branded “Agba Edie” to create identity, traceability and market confidence.
He explained that a semi-automated chicken processing machine was imported from The Netherlands, along with its housing design, to eliminate dependence on facilities outside the state, particularly in Ibadan. He noted that processing was identified as the weakest link in the broiler value chain.
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Under the scheme, he said farmers and youths were achieving average broiler weights of 2.8 kilograms within five weeks. All chicken supplied for the state’s school feeding programme was produced locally, largely from three agro-business centres operating under the Igba Otun Broiler platform.
Olotu expressed concern that the processing equipment had yet to be installed, despite funds for constructing its housing facility being left intact in the agency’s account. He described the operational stability and maintenance of the machine as critical to sustaining the reforms.
●Investment Climate and Security Challenges
Following Akeredolu’s death, Olotu alleged that turbulence set in, with investors in the Red Gold ecosystem facing harassment and projects being mischaracterised. He said capital retreated, momentum slowed, and reputational and financial damage occurred based on misinformation.
He, however, expressed pride in young agripreneurs supported during the administration, including John Alamu of JohnVent, SAO Agro, Bola Oil, Abis Farm (Small London), Agboola Green Estate, Tropic Palm, ACME and JB Farms. He noted that JohnVent’s CEO recently received a standing ovation at the Ondo State Investment Summit in Akure and credited the company with creating about 3,000 jobs.
Olotu also stated that Ondo houses between 60 and 70 per cent of cocoa processors in Nigeria and that plans were underway to establish the largest cocoa estate in the country at Ijugbere. He said a cluster of 4,000 hectares had been approved for Idanre-Ofosu to settle scattered cocoa farmers in forest reserves.
At Ijugbere, he noted, at least 200 youths were engaged daily on cocoa plots ranging from two to five hectares each, and 230,000 plantain suckers had been planted before kidnappers struck the site. Six youths were abducted, he said, adding that the Amotekun Corps engaged the kidnappers in the forest for days to secure their release. The area subsequently became inaccessible due to fear of banditry.
●Defence of Akeredolu’s Legacy
Olotu recalled that when the National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria honoured Akeredolu, the late governor publicly stated that the award should have been given to him (Olotu) as the sector’s visionary. He described this as a reflection of synergy between political leadership and technical blueprint.
He criticised what he described as tendentious essays against the late governor, insisting that governance should be assessed by measurable outcomes such as infrastructural expansion, educational rehabilitation, security architecture through Amotekun, agro-industrialisation, internally generated revenue growth and sectoral diversification.
Responding to a recent article by columnist Festus Adebayo of the Nigerian Tribune, which he described as character assassination, Olotu rejected claims that Ondo last had effective governors during the administrations of Olusegun Agagu and Olusegun Mimiko. He also dismissed allegations that Akeredolu favoured his hometown in road construction, stating that the Emure Junction–Owo township road was initiated by Mimiko and completed by Akeredolu.
●Call for Reconciliation and Continuity
Olotu urged Governor Aiyedatiwa to pursue reconciliation and unity, warning that political praise can quickly turn into criticism. He emphasised the need to preserve relational capital built during the Akeredolu administration, noting that Aiyedatiwa and the late governor shared common public purpose.
He appealed for wisdom in choosing consolidation over dissipation, unity over fracture and legacy over lapse, stressing that history evaluates outcomes, not rhetoric.
The former aide concluded by reaffirming his commitment to Ondo State’s agricultural transformation and advising that political appointees focus on ideas and delivery rather than personal attacks.
“Credit must be given to whom it is due. It is not a symbol of weakness but an indication of maturity,” he stated, urging the governor to guide the next phase of the state’s development with prudence and continuity.
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