Babalola, in inaugurating the eighth edition of the Afe Babalola Agricultural Expo (ABAEX), an annual assembly of farmers aimed at empowering them through the ABUAD founder, emphasized the importance of releasing funds to local council areas. This, he stated, would facilitate administrators’ active participation in the socioeconomic development of communities, particularly in providing support to farmers.
He suggested, “I propose that local government areas be empowered. Each local government should establish farming equipment that farmers can hire, and allocate substantial hectares of land for farming. In my days as a councillor, local government funds were directly allocated to them, but we are aware of the mismanagement of these funds. The current president, Bola Tinubu, should ensure that local government allocations reach them directly, bypassing the governors who often misappropriate these funds. Parents invest in their children’s education, and it is disheartening to see them return only to resort to manual farming with cutlasses.”
Highlighting the need for government intervention to revitalize agriculture, Babalola emphasized the purchase of modern implements to incentivize farming. He stressed that if local government funds were directed to them, they could acquire tractors for communal use through rental programs.
In his introductory comments, Professor Abiodun Ojo, the chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, underscored that ABAEX’s vision is to promote excellence and sustainable performance among farmers in Ekiti State, concurrently enhancing the value of agricultural products through increased productivity.
