Former Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture, Samson Odedina, has urged Nigerian youths to take up farming as a viable and rewarding career path, describing agriculture as a key solution to the country’s unemployment, food insecurity, and foreign exchange challenges.
Speaking with journalists on Thursday in Akure, the Ondo State capital, Odedina said young people have the potential to transform Nigeria’s agricultural landscape if they adopt innovative practices and receive the necessary support.
The former Provost of the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure (FECA), explained that his achievements in public office were rooted in his long-standing experience as a private farmer — an investment he began years before serving in government.
“In 2007, I worked with some international development projects and earned the equivalent of 50 years’ salary. I used that money to acquire farmland in Abeokuta, Ogun State, and ventured fully into agriculture,” he said.
Odedina recounted how his search for suitable farmland took him to remote areas, where he assessed soil quality, vegetation, and topography before making his choice.
“The landowners were surprised that I preferred their area to lands closer to town. I told them farming is about productivity, not location. We eventually reached a fair agreement and became partners in progress,” he added.
By the time he was appointed Rector of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic in 2018 and later Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture, Odedina said he was already running a successful farm with crops and livestock.
“My experience in private farming prepared me for public service. I never applied for or received government land for personal use. I stayed focused on my responsibilities, and by God’s grace, it was perhaps the first time a Commissioner for Agriculture didn’t seek government land for personal farming,” he noted.
Odedina encouraged young Nigerians to see agriculture not as a fallback option but as a profitable, respectable profession capable of improving lives and strengthening the nation’s economy.
