By Kingsley Ohens
Community Development Advocate | Social Commentator
As Edo State approaches its 35th anniversary on August 27, 2026, it is appropriate to look beyond political rhetoric and examine the policies, investments and measurable interventions shaping the state’s development trajectory under Governor Monday Okpebholo.
One area that deserves particular attention is agriculture and natural resources — sectors that have historically remained central to Edo’s economy, especially in rural communities.
For Governor Okpebholo, this focus appears to be deeply connected to personal experience. Growing up in a farming community in Uwesan, Esan Central, the governor has often recalled a lesson attributed to his late father: *“If you take care of the land, the land will take care of you.”*
That philosophy provides an interesting lens through which to assess the administration’s *Food Prosperity Agenda,* one of the major pillars of its SHINE Agenda.
*Agriculture: Moving from Subsistence to Economic Opportunity*
The decision to increase the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security from *N5.9 billion in 2024 to more than N70 billion in 2025* represents one of the most significant financial commitments to agriculture in Edo’s history — an increase of about *1,086 per cent.*
But the real test of such a massive budgetary expansion is not the size of the appropriation. It is whether the investment translates into productive farms, empowered farmers, reduced food prices, stronger rural economies and greater food security.
The administration’s *Back to Farm Initiative (BTFI),* launched in February 2025, is therefore significant because it seeks to position agriculture not merely as a survival activity, but as an engine for employment, wealth creation and food production.
The reported clearing and cultivation of about *3,000 hectares* across Edo’s three senatorial districts provides an important foundation for that ambition. Crops targeted include rice, maize, cassava, yam, vegetables, cocoa, beans, groundnuts, soybeans and other grains.
More importantly, the intervention appears designed around a value-chain approach rather than simply distributing farm inputs.
The procurement of 36 tractors, large-scale fertilizer supplies, herbicides and improved seedlings, alongside the construction of warehouses, rural roads and processing facilities, suggests an attempt to address some of the structural weaknesses that have historically limited agricultural productivity.
*The Farmer Cluster Model*
Perhaps one of the more interesting components of the agricultural programme is the *Farmer Cluster Model.*
Under the arrangement, clusters of farmers cultivate five hectares, with government providing inputs, equipment and technical assistance. The proposed sharing arrangement gives the state the proceeds from four hectares for reinvestment into subsequent farming cycles, while the participating cluster retains the proceeds from one hectare.
Whether the model ultimately succeeds will depend heavily on transparency, farmer participation, accountability and efficient management of the proceeds.
But conceptually, it represents a departure from an agricultural policy that merely gives farmers inputs and walks away.
The objective is to create a *revolving agricultural system* in which government investment can continually support new production cycles.
That is the kind of model that deserves close monitoring because, if properly implemented, it could make government intervention more sustainable.
*Seeds, Fertilizer and the Rural Economy*
Agricultural transformation cannot happen without putting productive assets in the hands of farmers.
The administration reports the distribution of *8,188 bags of fertilizer to 4,094 farmers,* alongside additional farm inputs and large-scale procurement of urea, NPK fertilizers and herbicides.
The reported distribution of *34,576 cocoa seedlings and 1,474 oil-palm seedlings,* as well as *40,000 cashew seedlings* through collaboration with the National Cashew Association of Nigeria, also points towards an effort to strengthen Edo’s tree-crop economy.
These interventions are particularly important because tree crops are not simply seasonal investments. Properly managed, cocoa, cashew and oil palm can provide farmers with long-term sources of income and create opportunities for processing and export.
The reported planting of *644 fruit-tree seedlings across public spaces* may appear modest compared with the larger agricultural programme, but it forms part of the broader conversation about food production, environmental sustainability and urban agriculture.
*Agriculture Cannot Thrive Without Roads*
One of the biggest challenges facing Nigerian agriculture is not necessarily production. It is movement.
A farmer can produce a bumper harvest and still lose money if the road from the farm to the market is impassable.
This makes the administration’s establishment of the *State Road Fund (SRF) and Rural Access Road Agency (RARA)* particularly relevant to its agricultural strategy.
The reported construction of *8.92 kilometres* of climate-resilient farm roads, including primary and secondary routes and seven culverts, is designed to connect farming communities with markets.
The ongoing construction of five warehouses across the three senatorial districts is equally important because agricultural transformation must address storage and post-harvest losses.
The proposed effort to position Edo to access a *$500 million World Bank rural agricultural development facility* also demonstrates the administration’s attempt to connect state-level infrastructure planning with external development financing.
*From Farm to Processing*
Another important dimension is agricultural processing.
The installation of a cassava processing machine at *Biogba Community in Orhionmwon Local Government Area* and the provision of hybrid fish-smoking equipment at the Uteh Fish Cluster through the LIFE-ND Project point towards a critical principle: Edo should not merely produce raw agricultural commodities; it should increasingly process them.
The greatest economic value in agriculture often lies beyond the farm gate.
Processing creates jobs, improves shelf life, increases farmers’ bargaining power and opens opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises.
The reported empowerment of *1,787 beneficiaries in agribusinesses* therefore becomes relevant to the broader objective of creating an agricultural ecosystem rather than simply a farming programme.
*Food Prices and the Marketplace*
The administration’s decision to ban market unions from arbitrarily fixing prices has generated a significant policy conversation.
Government argues that the move was necessary to confront artificial price manipulation and improve affordability for consumers.
There is an important economic principle behind the intervention: markets function best when prices are determined by genuine supply and demand rather than coercive or monopolistic practices.
However, the sustainability of any such policy will depend on effective regulation, protection of legitimate traders’ interests and continuous engagement with market stakeholders.
The ultimate measure should be simple: *Can farmers earn fairly while consumers gain access to food at reasonable prices?*
Both sides of that equation must be protected.
*Natural Resources: From Extraction to Shared Prosperity*
Edo is blessed with considerable mineral resources, but natural wealth can become a curse if communities see environmental degradation while investors and government capture the benefits.
The administration reports that *36 mining areas have been delineated,* with exploration ongoing at several sites and *47 mineral titles and licences* issued, including *33 through joint-venture arrangements.*
The reported joint-venture approach is particularly noteworthy because it introduces the possibility of a shared-benefit framework involving investors, host communities and government.
The real test, however, will be whether communities hosting these resources actually experience improved livelihoods, infrastructure and economic opportunities.
Natural resources should not merely leave the ground. They should translate into development.
*Power, Water and the Productive Economy*
Agriculture and industry cannot flourish without electricity and water.
The enactment and implementation of the *Edo State Electricity Regulatory Commission Law* represents an attempt to give the state greater capacity to participate in electricity generation, transmission and distribution.
The reported procurement of *36 transformers,* with a broader target of 500 units, alongside rural electrification interventions in communities across the three senatorial districts, is therefore relevant to the state’s larger economic strategy.
Water infrastructure is equally important.
The overhaul of the *Ugboha Water Scheme,* with treated water supplied to Ugboha and parts of Uromi and Irrua, as well as proposed extensions to other communities, demonstrates how water infrastructure intersects directly with public health, agriculture and economic productivity.
Plans to reactivate the Ojirami and Ikpoba-Hill dams and restore water supply to areas including Agbede and Sakponba will require sustained investment and careful technical execution.
*Cattle, Livestock and Veterinary Development*
The agricultural agenda extends beyond crops.
The ongoing revitalisation of the *Igarra Cattle Ranch,* registration of private ranches and reported vaccination of more than *300,000 cattle, sheep and goats* in partnership with L-PRES demonstrate an effort to strengthen livestock production.
The development of a model veterinary hospital is another important intervention.
A modern agricultural economy requires veterinary infrastructure capable of preventing disease outbreaks, protecting livestock assets and supporting commercial animal husbandry.
*A Broader Development Philosophy*
Taken together, these interventions reveal an administration attempting to connect several components of the rural economy: land, farmers, inputs, *roads, electricity, water, storage, processing, markets and natural resources.*
That is important because development does not happen in isolated sectors.
A farmer needs a road.
A processor needs electricity.
A market needs affordable transportation.
An investor needs infrastructure.
A community hosting mineral resources needs to see tangible benefits.
And a state seeking food security needs farmers who can produce profitably.
The real significance of the Okpebholo administration’s agriculture and natural-resource strategy may therefore lie not in any single project, but in whether these interventions can eventually operate as one interconnected economic ecosystem.
*The Road Ahead*
Yet, as Edo celebrates 35 years of statehood, celebration must be accompanied by accountability.
The achievements being reported deserve recognition, but they must also be subjected to continuous public scrutiny.
The questions going forward are straightforward:
Are the 3,000 hectares achieving expected yields?
Are farmers receiving inputs on time?
Are warehouses being effectively utilised?
Are rural roads reducing transportation costs?
Are mineral-producing communities receiving meaningful benefits?
Are electricity interventions translating into productive economic activity?
Are water projects reaching the intended beneficiaries?
And, most importantly, are these programmes creating sustainable livelihoods beyond the lifespan of the current administration?
These are the questions that will ultimately determine the historical value of the policies.
*Edo at 35: From Potential to Productivity*
Edo does not lack resources.
It has fertile land, forests, rivers, minerals, a strategic location, a large agricultural population and a rich history of enterprise.
The challenge has always been converting these advantages into broad-based prosperity.
Governor Monday Okpebholo’s emphasis on agriculture and natural resources represents an attempt to confront that challenge through increased investment, infrastructure, partnerships and institutional reforms.
If the programmes are sustained, transparently implemented and insulated from political disruption, Edo could gradually move from being predominantly a producer of raw materials to becoming a state where agriculture, processing, mining, energy and rural infrastructure reinforce one another.
That is the bigger promise.
At *35,* Edo should not merely celebrate its history.
It should be preparing its next economic chapter.
And if the old wisdom that guided a young farmer from Uwesan remains relevant — *that when you take care of the land, the land will take care of you* — then the responsibility before government, communities, farmers and investors is clear:
*Take care of Edo’s land, protect its resources, empower its people, and build an economy capable of taking care of generations yet unborn.*
*Edo @35 is not only a celebration of where the state has been. It is a test of how deliberately it can build where it is going.*
Kingsley Ohens
Community Development Advocate | Social Commentator
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