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| Aare Afe Babalola |
The Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, used the 2026 Afe Babalola Agricultural Expo to announce a practical step toward modernising farming in Ekiti State: plans for an Ekiti Farmers’ House. The event, themed “AI for every farmer: Farming Smarter, producing more and earning better,” brought together farmers from all 16 local government areas who displayed their produce.
Babalola founded the annual expo in 2015 with a clear goal—to restore dignity and economic viability to agriculture at a time when many young people and graduates prefer white-collar or menial work over farming. As both an educationist and a practising farmer himself, he has consistently argued that food security and rural prosperity depend on making farming attractive, productive, and technologically supported.
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Plans for the Ekiti Farmers’ House
Babalola outlined that the proposed Farmers’ House will include a secretariat for meetings and coordination. Working with the Ekiti State Government and the 16 local government areas, it will acquire modern implements—ridgers, ploughs, harvesters and related equipment—and rent them to farmers at affordable rates.
The model is straightforward: instead of every smallholder needing to buy expensive machinery, farmers can hire what they need through local government channels. Babalola emphasised that this approach can open large-scale, productive farming to youths and university graduates who currently see traditional hoe-and-cutlass methods as unattractive. “It is possible. It is practicable, and it is achievable,” he said, noting that modern tools are essential if more Nigerians are to embrace agriculture.
He also acknowledged the real risks farmers face, including kidnapping, robbery and herdsmen-related challenges, and thanked those who continue despite these difficulties.
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Cash awards and youth empowerment
As part of the expo, outstanding farmers received cash prizes. The overall best farmer in Ekiti State collected ₦2 million. In each of the 16 local government areas the top three farmers shared ₦350,000 (₦200,000 for first, ₦100,000 for second, and ₦50,000 for third).
Separately, two youths from each local government who had completed training in plantain chips production, packaging and marketing under the Afe Babalola Youth Empowerment programme received starter equipment. Babalola advised all winners to invest their prizes carefully, reminding them that many of the world’s wealthiest people began with very little. He urged the young beneficiaries to maximise the training and tools they received.
Voices of support
The Oore of Otun Ekiti and Paramount Ruler of Mobaland, Oba Adekunle Adeagbo, praised the consistent support for farmers and youths. He linked agriculture directly to national development, stating that food security underpins a healthy and productive population and that locally grown food strengthens Nigeria’s economy. He described the 2026 theme on AI and smarter farming as timely and congratulated both the prize winners and the youths who received equipment.
Professor Abiodun Ojo, Chairman of the ABA-EX Local Organising Committee, described the expo’s evolution under Babalola’s backing: from a simple agricultural show into a platform for recognition, empowerment and sustainable development. He highlighted the founder’s belief in the capacity of Ekiti people to prosper through agriculture and enterprise.
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Why this matters for farmers and readers
The combination of cash incentives, skills training, equipment access and a planned shared machinery system addresses several persistent barriers in Nigerian agriculture: high cost of modern tools, limited capital, and low appeal of farming to young people. The explicit focus on artificial intelligence in the theme points toward future possibilities—precision advice on planting, pest detection, market prices and weather—tools that are increasingly available via mobile platforms even for smallholders.
For individual farmers, practical next steps include organising or joining cooperatives (which improve access to credit and collective hiring of equipment), documenting farm records so that any future AI or extension services can be useful, and exploring value addition such as the plantain chips model showcased at the expo.
Babalola’s long-running initiative demonstrates that private commitment, paired with partnership from state and local government, can create tangible incentives and infrastructure. Whether the Ekiti Farmers’ House materialises as planned will depend on sustained collaboration, but the direction—shared modern implements, youth skills, and recognition of high performers—offers a clear template other communities can study.
Samuel O. Sulaimon is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Naijapiz. He covers News, Sports, Finance, Faiths, Education, Technology.
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