Oyo govt clarifies Makinde’s botched Botswana maize deal

The Oyo State Government has clarified its position on the botched maize export arrangement with the Government of Botswana.

The government stated that the decision to pull back was driven by data analysis and the need to protect Oyo State farmers.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the clarification is contained in a statement issued in Ibadan on Friday by the governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju.

It stated that the Gov. Seyi Makinde-led administration had, in its first term, explored a bilateral deal with Botswana to guarantee off-take and foreign exchange earnings for local farmers.

“However, comprehensive studies conducted by the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA) revealed that the economics of large-scale maize export were not viable,” it stated.

The statement stressed that the decision was not a withdrawal from international agricultural engagement, but a strategic pivot to more profitable value chains like cassava.

It listed the state’s agribusiness achievements under Makinde’s administration to include the ongoing Ijaye Agribusiness Industrial Hub, the establishment of OYSADA, and the Fasola Agribusiness Industrial Park.

The park, it said, is recognised by the African Development Bank as Nigeria’s first Agricultural Transformation Centre.

The government also cited improved rural security through Amotekun, rural road projects and the Light Up Oyo initiative as measures taken to reduce post-harvest losses.

It added that Oyo State’s early domestication of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) protocol has positioned the state for broader continental trade beyond a single bilateral deal.

The statement asserted that the administration’s decisions reflected a clear approach to build a sustainable agricultural economy anchored on data, competitiveness, and long-term value. (NAN)