Farmdev Consult Unites Over 500 Agribusiness Leaders in Ibadan to Revolutionise African Farming

On Saturday, July 18, 2026, a significant gathering of agricultural stakeholders took place in Ibadan, as Farmdev Consult, a prominent agricultural consultancy firm, hosted the Africa Agribusiness Summit 2026. The event, which attracted over 500 attendees including industry leaders, agripreneurs, policymakers, farmers, students, and NYSC Agro-Allied CDS corps members, was held at the Zonta Multipurpose Hall in Jericho, Ibadan. The summit focused on the theme 'Transforming Africa’s Agricultural Landscape: Driving Profitability, Sustainability, and Food Security', with the aim of shifting the focus from traditional subsistence farming methods to structured, high-yield corporate agricultural practices. In his opening address, Samuel Oluwatobi, the Convener and Managing Director of Farmdev Consult, stressed the crucial role of agribusiness in driving sustainable economic growth. 'Food is a basic necessity for humanity,' Oluwatobi said. 'Whether you like it or not, no matter how hard the economy is, people must eat. No matter how expensive food is, people will buy it. Although the goal is not to make it expensive, the goal is food security.' The Executive Adviser to the Governor on Planning, Budgeting, and Economic Matters, Alhaji Gaffar Bello, who represented the Secretary to the Oyo State Government, challenged the participants to adopt professional branding and premium value addition in their agricultural practices. 'When you walk into top supermarkets, you never see garri measured out in local congo tins; you see it refined, standardised, and attractively packaged,' Bello said. 'If we elevate agriculture to this level of intentionality and business structure, the national outcry over youth unemployment will dry up completely.' Mrs. Kehinde Omojuyigbe, the founder of The Fufu Factory, who joined the summit virtually, emphasised the need for intentional capital injection into the agricultural sector. 'When we invest in well-managed agribusiness, we are not simply financing one company; we are supporting farmers, creating jobs, and strengthening food security. Agriculture deserves smarter funding,' she said. The summit also featured presentations by Mr Babatunde Olaniran of Tundelaniran Farms and Mr Alfred Ukane of Melora Farms, who highlighted the benefits of high-value export processing and farm automation in driving profitability. The presentations were followed by interactive Question and Answer sessions, which saw active participation from the attendees. Agropreneurs engaged directly with the speakers, asking questions about accessing cheap capital, connecting with large-scale off-takers, and navigating land acquisition hurdles. As part of its commitment to human capital development, Farmdev Consult presented ₦300,000 in research support grants to six final-year agricultural students from the University of Ibadan, Federal College of Forestry Ibadan, and Federal University of Technology Minna. Each beneficiary received ₦50,000 to fund critical field research, data collection, and laboratory analysis for their final-year projects. The event culminated in the official announcement of Farmdev City, a 2,000-acre agricultural hub designed to expand to over 15,000 acres. The project aims to bring together large-scale crop production, livestock farming, food processing, research, and storage facilities to help stakeholders tackle post-harvest losses and access wider markets. The participants left the venue energised, praising Farmdev Consult for creating a platform that bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge, state support, and real-world agribusiness investment for all industry stakeholders.