Dr. Olabode Adetoyi, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in Ekiti State, has advised President-elect Bola Tinubu to prioritize agriculture and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in order to fully utilize its potential. Speaking to journalists, Adetoyi emphasized the need for Tinubu to review existing agricultural policies and identify barriers to their implementation. He also highlighted the importance of evaluating the laws and mandates of agencies under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD).

Adetoyi suggested that Tinubu should develop a comprehensive plan for agricultural production, which can be implemented through executive actions. Additionally, he urged the President-elect to assess the current state of farm settlements across the country and conduct a census of their occupants.

To address the challenges faced by occupants of farm settlements, Adetoyi proposed that Tinubu should provide immediate relief packages in the short and long term. He also recommended that FMARD and the National Directorate of Employment (under the Federal Ministry of Labour) should collect data on youth interested in agriculture through a simple Google form, categorized by geopolitical zones.

Adetoyi further suggested that the data collection process should be open for 21 days, targeting 60,000 participants (10,000 participants per geopolitical zone) in the first batch. He emphasized the need to establish a farm support model for youth farmers nationwide, including input supply and output take-up mechanisms.