From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
Aare Afe Babalola, founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has attributed Nigeria’s food insufficiency to the abandonment of agriculture.
Speaking at the 2024 African Man of the Year in Food Security investiture by the Global Food Security Initiative for Green Sustainability in ABUAD, Babalola urged governments and Nigerians to prioritise farming to address food shortages, leveraging the country’s fertile soil.
Babalola, who won the same award in 2014, became the first African to receive it twice, beating other continental nominees. A leading large-scale farmer in Ekiti, he is the state’s highest taxpayer and second-largest employer after the government. He stated, “What caused problems for us in this country is because we do not produce, and yet, we eat. Those who do not work do not deserve to eat; that is what the Bible taught us.”
He highlighted his efforts, saying, “When I started this university, I made agriculture my first priority.” Babalola founded the Association of Afe Babalola Farmers in Ekiti, which annually awards funds to top farmers across 16 LGAs, influencing farming in Oyo, Lagos, and Osun. He added, “What governments need to do is to encourage farming by all means and make the environment conducive for us so that we can farm.”
Criticising the neglect of agriculture, he remarked, “I do not believe that any Nigerian should complain of hunger, especially with our God-given fertile lands, lots of rains and so on.” He stressed, “In short, the problems we have in this country can be traced to the abandonment of agriculture,” and insisted, “Without agriculture, this country cannot make it.”
Caleb Osasona, Country Representative of the Global Food Security Initiative, praised Babalola’s contributions to agriculture, noting their impact beyond Nigeria. Ekiti Governor Biodun Oyebanji, represented by Commissioner for Agriculture Ebenezer Boluwade, lauded Babalola’s role in elevating Ekiti’s agricultural profile.
Oyebanji said, “Through the ABUAD Bio-Diversified Farms and granting millions of naira under the Afe Babalola Annual Agricultural Grants to farmers, among other laudable gestures, he has shown Africa what is possible when intellect meets innovation in agriculture.”
ABUAD Vice-Chancellor Prof. Smaranda Olarinde highlighted Babalola’s initiatives, including 50% tuition subsidies for agriculture students and financial rewards for Ekiti farmers. She stated, “The award is not merely personal; it is a victory for every farmer in Ekiti, every student in our university and every African child who deserves a future free from hunger.”