Over 500 Stakeholders Gather In Ibadan As Farmdev Consult Redefines African Agriculture
August 14, 2026 9:48 am
Over five hundred agricultural stakeholders gathered on Saturday, July 18, 2026, as industry leaders, agripreneurs, policymakers, farmers, students and NYSC Agro-Allied CDS corps members packed the Zonta Multipurpose Hall in Jericho, Ibadan, for the Africa Agribusiness Summit 2026.
Organised by Farmdev Consult, a leading agricultural consultancy firm, the summit centred on its core theme, “Transforming Africa’s Agricultural Landscape: Driving Profitability, Sustainability, and Food Security.” The event focused on redefining African agriculture by helping stakeholders move away from traditional subsistence methods toward structured, high-yield corporate businesses.
In his opening address, Convener and Managing Director of Farmdev Consult, Samuel Oluwatobi, emphasised the fundamental necessity of agribusiness in driving sustainable economic growth. “Food is a basic demand for humanity,” Samuel Oluwatobi stressed. “Whether you like it or not, no matter how hard the economy is, people must eat. No matter how expensive food is, people will buy it. Although the goal is not to make it expensive, the goal is food security.”
Delivering a compelling address on behalf of the Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Executive Adviser to the Governor on Planning, Budgeting, and Economic Matters, Alhaji Gaffar Bello, challenged participants to embrace professional branding and premium value addition. “When you walk into top supermarkets, you never see garri measured out in local congo tins; you see it refined, standardised, and attractively packaged,” Bello asserted. “If we elevate agriculture to this level of intentionality and business structure, the national outcry over youth unemployment will dry up completely.”
Joining the summit virtually, Mrs. Kehinde Omojuyigbe, founder of The Fufu Factory, emphasised the need for intentional capital injection into the sector. “When we invest in well-managed agribusiness, we are not simply financing one company; we are supporting farmers, creating jobs, and strengthening food security. Agriculture deserves smarter funding.”
Turning to practical operations, Mr Babatunde Olaniran of Tundelaniran Farms and Mr Alfred Ukane of Melora Farms highlighted how high-value export processing and farm automation drive profitability, demonstrating how technology allows single operators to efficiently manage massive farm yields while converting raw harvests into premium market products.
Following the presentations, the summit hall buzzed with active participation during the interactive Question and Answer sessions. Agropreneurs engaged directly with the speakers, asking sharp questions about accessing cheap capital, connecting with large-scale off-takers, and navigating land acquisition hurdles.
Demonstrating its commitment to human capital development, Farmdev Consult also presented ₦300,000 in research support grants to six final-year agricultural students from the University of Ibadan, Federal College of Forestry Ibadan, and Federal University of Technology Minna. Each beneficiary received ₦50,000 to directly fund critical field research, data collection, and laboratory analysis for their final-year projects, helping turn academic research into practical solutions for African farming.
Climaxing the event was the official announcement of Farmdev City, a master-planned 2,000-acre agricultural hub designed to expand to over 15,000 acres. The project brings together large-scale crop production, livestock farming, food processing, research, and storage facilities to help stakeholders tackle post-harvest losses and access wider markets.
Participants left the venue energised, praising Farmdev Consult for creating a platform that bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge, state support, and real-world agribusiness investment for all industry stakeholders.
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