Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to food security by commissioning two new initiatives aimed at creating a more efficient food storage and distribution system.
The initiatives, “Ounje Ekiti Retail Outlet” and “Ilu Eye Aggregation Hub,” are designed to ensure a consistent supply of affordable food items for residents.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony on Wednesday, Oyebanji stated that the goal is to make Ekiti State the food basket of the nation, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s mandate to combat hunger and poverty.
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He revealed that his administration has invested over N50 billion in agribusiness since taking office, with the investment now beginning to yield results.
The “Ilu Eye Aggregation Hub” is a company that purchases food commodities directly from local farmers for storage, while the “Ounje Ekiti Retail Outlet” is a government-run store that sells these items to the public at subsidized prices.
According to the governor, the hub has already collected significant quantities of locally-produced food, including 750 metric tons of white beans, 239.167 metric tons of rice paddy, 101.54 metric tons of maize, and 1,716 bags of garri.
These products will be sold to residents below market prices.
Oyebanji explained that the new system is a strategic effort to address long-standing challenges in the agricultural sector, such as post-harvest losses, inadequate storage, and inefficient market linkages.
The initiatives were developed based on recommendations from the Ekiti State Food Security Committee.
To ensure the program benefits all households, the governor noted that the retail outlet will have strict controls on purchase quantities to prevent hoarding and the re-emergence of middlemen.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Ebenezer Boluwade, clarified that the initiative is not a temporary palliative but a structured program designed to stabilize food prices and protect farmers from exploitation.
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He also announced the launch of a new commodity price dashboard to track market prices.
The Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Akintunde Oyebode, praised the governor’s focus on agriculture, calling it a testament to his commitment to shared prosperity and a promise to ensure no resident goes hungry.
