By Chinedu Okorie, African Business Correspondent
Former President of Botswana, Mr. Mokgweetsi Masisi, has declared that Nigeria possesses immense potential to build wealth and long-term prosperity through sustained investment in agriculture and its value chains.
Masisi made this assertion during a tour of Agbeyewa Farms in Ekiti State, where he urged Nigerian governments and policymakers to create a more enabling environment for agribusiness to thrive.
He praised the farm’s chairman, Niyi John Olajide, and his team for their bold initiatives, noting that the integration of technology and skilled workforce at Agbeyewa signals a promising future.
“Government is to provide an enabling environment. Enabling the environment is policy-driven. It’s a legal infrastructure regulator framework and incentivisation,” Masisi said. “It’s not a crime to subsidise agriculture. By doing so, government provides sustainable jobs, sustainable living, and nutrition.”
Masisi further encouraged Nigeria to explore opportunities in the wildlife economy, stressing that the country is losing billions of naira by neglecting this sector. He cited Botswana’s success in generating hundreds of millions of dollars from wildlife resources such as elephants, zebras, antelopes, and crocodiles.
Meanwhile, Olajide, who also chairs Cavista Holdings (parent company of Agbeyewa Farms), reaffirmed the farm’s commitment to maximising cassava’s full value chain.
“We are moving into processing while perfecting cultivation, aggregation, and agric-trading,” Olajide explained. “Our goal is to unlock value addition through ethanol, cassava starch, and high-quality cassava flour, creating jobs and opportunities for more people.”
Agbeyewa Farms, recognised as the largest cassava farm in the world, is strategically positioned to drive food security, supply industrial raw materials, and generate sustainable employment through modern agricultural practices.