Prof. Oyebanji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, a former SSA on Industrialisation to the AfDB
Prof. Oyebanji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, a former Senior Special Adviser (SSA) on Industrialisation at the African Development Bank (AfDB), has stated that Nigeria can achieve economic growth, poverty reduction, and food security only by industrialising agriculture.
The former SSA said this while delivering a lecture titled ‘Industrialising Agriculture for Economic Development and Food Security,’ at the Oyo State International Agribusiness Summit 2025 held at IITA, Ibadan.
He noted that while Nigeria is blessed with vast, fertile land and exports rice, wheat, sugar, and fish, it still faces a food deficit.
According to him, Nigeria’s over ₦1 trillion food import bill contributes to unemployment and negatively affects local production, agro processing, and manufacturing.
He explained, “You can not build a competitive economy on the back of raw commodity exports and food imports. That model guarantees poverty. Real development begins when agriculture feeds industry and industry feeds exports.”
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