Before the advent of crude oil, agriculture was the
mainstay of Nigeria’s economy. Then, the country’s
economy thrived; food was available and affordable.
People, therefore, did not go hungry, except in
extreme cases occasioned by a serious factor.
With the oil boom era, the country and its people
shifted attention from agriculture to oil and gas.
Subsequently, graduates of Agricultural Science, Soil
Science, Agricultural Extension, Agricultural
Economics etc., looked for white-collar jobs in banks
and other seemingly lucrative areas, including oil and
gas. Little did people know that those who remained
in agriculture would today be raking in millions and
billions of naira, as their products now grace both
local and international markets.
This gives an impeccable signal that agriculture is,
perhaps, more viable than other sectors. Also, it is an
indication that well planned investment in agriculture
is not a futile effort. It suffices that some Nigerian
farmers have successfully built some shining legacies
that need to be emulated and replicated. Most of
them, as observed, are politicians. In this edition,
LEADERSHIP Friday brings to the fore Nigeria’s top
ten biggest farmers.

1. OLUSEGUN OBASANJO (OBASANJO FARM)
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is not only a retired army
officer, former head of state and politician, he is also a successful farmer. He owns Ota Farm, which is also called Obasanjo Farms. The large farm was formallyopened on October 8, 1979, a week after Obasanjo
handed over power to a civilian administration on
October 1, 1979. At inception, the farm took off as
Temperance Enterprises Limited (Farming Venture).
It later became Obasanjo Farms Nigeria Limited.
Obasanjo Farms indeed took off in grand style,
indication that Nigeria’s former president meant
serious business. This probably accounts for the
growth, expansion, sustainability and consolidation
witnessed in the evolution of the farm, considering
how it started and where it is now.
The farm took off with two layer houses containing
100, 000 birds each and five broiler houses of 12,000
each, in addition to two feed mills of three tons per
hour each. The large farm, which has up to 7,000
workers started with four bulldozer operators. Today, Obasanjo makes up to N34million daily from Ota
Farm, which has branches in Ibadan and Igbo-Ora,
Oyo State. This is no small earning for the former
president whose farm has played a significant role in
the development of agriculture and food production.
Obasanjo also uses the farm complex at the Agbe L’
Oba House, Ota, the Ogun State headquarters of the
farm, to hold political and diplomatic meetings.

2.ABDULSALAMI ABUBABAKAR (MAIZUBE FARMS)
What makes General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd)
significant today in Nigeria and beyond is not just his
successful military career or the fact that he willingly
handed over power to a democratically elected
government in 1999 to usher in the Fourth Republic.
He has a stake in the Nigerian agricultural sector,
being the owner of Maizube Farms Limited, which is
helping to cater for the food needs of many Nigerians
today.
Maizube Farms Limited is located at Km 26, Minna-
Bida Road, Minna, Niger State, where General
Abubakar is from. The 500-hectare multi-product
farm has both livestock and crop sections and today,
it is proudly one of the stable sources of crop and
animal products upon which Nigerians depend for
food and other uses.
Just as General Abubakar gives appreciable time to
his peacekeeping mission across the African
continent, so also does he give a great deal of time
and attention to his Maizube Farms.

3.MURTALA NYAKO (SEBORE FARMS)
Vice Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd), the executive
governor of Adamawa State may be more popular
from the political perspective to many, but he is one
of the most successful Nigerian farmers today. Few
know that he is the owner of Sebore Farms in Mayo-
Belwa, Adamawa State.
Murtala Nyako was born at Mayo-Belwa, to Alhaji
Hamman-Yero, a notable merchant and Hajiya
Maryam Daso who was keen on Islamic studies and
herbal medicine, on August 27, 1943.
Nyako was born a cattle owner, as his mother had
been allocated some cows for her offspring before
his birth. So he started what has snowballed into an
integrated commercial farm today as a cattle farm.
Even throughout his career, in the Navy and in
politics, Nyako was never distracted from developing
and expanding his coast in the agricultural sector,
the result of which is his success story today.
He commenced a sustainable crossbreeding
programme of his local cattle with exotic superior
sires in 1990 with very satisfactory results. He also
got involved in the production of horticultural crops
and his first commercial export of muskmelons to
Europe, using a chartered aircraft, took place in
January 1990. Nyako owns the largest mango farm in
Nigeria, leading to his being popularly known as
Baba Mai Mangoro (BMM). Exotic mangoes from his
mango orchard of 50, 000 trees were first exported
to Europe in 1993. He is also presently involved in the
modern production of dates, passion fruit and
bananas, pasture development breeding of Boer
goats and farming.
Nyako is the president of the Horticultural Crops
Growers Association of Nigeria, the Practicing
Farmers Association of Nigeria and the Apex Farmers
Association of Nigeria. He is the patron of numerous
farmers’ commodity associations in the country.

4.USMAN DANTATA Jr. (ANADARIYA FARMS)
The young and enterprising Usman Dantata Jr., who
is married to Rukaiya Indimi, daughter of multi-
billionaire Borno businessman Mohammed Indimi, is
the president/CEO of Anadariya Farms. The large
poultry farm, which is located in Tiga, Bebeji local
government area of Kano State, was started by the
late business sage of Kano, Alhaji Usman Sanusi
Dantata of the Dantata dynasty, in the 1960s.
Anadariya Farms thrived well in poultry produce. For
instance, it was noted for exporting poultry birds and
eggs to Saudi Arabia twice a week using a Boeing 747
plane.
However, after decades of activity, the farm
experienced some challenges and stopped
operations until recently, when Dantata Jr. came on
board and injected viability into the large farm. The
CEO came with refined vigour, to ensure the farm
maintains a successful track record. He has a
background in investment and banking and was a
trader of various commodities in Europe before
coming back to Nigeria. He also has a certificate in
feed production and broiler management obtained in
North Carolina. Suffice it to say that he had equipped
himself with the necessary training before stepping
into the business.
This wealth of experience and pool of relevant
knowledge may have been the reason for his decision
to expand the services and operations of the farm to
include a hatchery, production of broilers and layers,
the production of feeds and the processing and sale
of poultry products. Anadariya Farms produces
above 3, 000 broilers weekly. This is one of Nigeria’s
most viable farms, with its growing, diverse
agricultural activities.

5.SIR JOSEPH I.A ARUMEMI-IKHIDE (OJEMAI FARMS)
Another modern farm with high level of activity and
making great impact within the nation’s agricultural
space is Ojemai Farms Limited owned by Ojemai
Holdings. The farm, which is located in Edo State and
owned by Sir J.I.A. Arumemi-Ikhide, the chairman of
Arik Air, was established in 1984 with interest tilting
towards livestock production. It took off as a local
producer of pork and turkey meat. However, as years
past by and business expanded in the farm, there
was the need for expansion of scope of operations.
This led to new interest in production of broiler,
catfish, fish fingerling and other forms of animal
produce. The farm has grown to become one of the
biggest farms in Nigeria and one of the nation’s
prides in the agricultural sector.

6.ARINZE ONEBUNNE (JOVANA FARMS)
Prince Arinze Onebunne is the successful managing
consultant and CEO of Jovana Farms, located in
Mushin, Lagos. Onebunne specialises in the farming
of animals such as grasscutters (greater cane rats),
rabbits, quail, antelope, guinea pigs and fish, and so
on. His high profile level of animal farming has taken
him to over 30 states in Nigeria and to other
countries as a seminar facilitator, advocate, training
personnel and empowerment speaker.
The founder of Jovana Farms is also at the vanguard
of modern fish and livestock farming in Nigeria,
which is considered a fast growing and lucrative
subsector of the nation’s economy today. With his
vast experience and engagement in training and
mentoring prospective animal farmers, he earns
millions of naira not only from sales of animal
products, but also from consultancy charges.
Onebunne also carries out feasibility research, site
survey and farm construction projects, as part of his
professional services.

7.DR OLATUNDE AGBATO (ANIMAL CARE SERVICES
KONSULT )
Dr Olatunde Agbato, a veterinary doctor, is the
founder and president/CEO of Animal Care Services
Konsult. Agbato, a graduate of the University of
Ibadan (UI), became a viable player in the agricultural
sector with the establishment of the company known
commonly by its shortened name, Animal Care. The
company has interests in commercial poultry
production, commercial livestock feed milling,
aquaculture, manufacturing, and procurement and
distribution of animal health products. The company
also undertakes provision of expert services for
people with interest in animal farming, but who lack
the know-how.
Animal Care was founded in 1979 and is located in
Ogere Remo, Ogun State. The company concentrates
majorly on poultry and veterinary services. It has
continued to grow and has a subsidiary called
Funtuna Farms, which is a poultry farming operation
unit. Furthermore, it has a fish farm operation unit.
Agbato has over the years distinguished himself as a
veterinary doctor cum farmer. He is a fellow of the
College of Veterinary Surgeons of Nigeria; fellow,
Farm Management Association of Nigeria; member,
International Egg Commission, and has received
many awards of recognition. Agbato is, indeed, one
of the farmers who have sown under the sun and can
now reap their harvests.

8. ABDULLAHI ADAMU (NAGARI INTEGRATED DAIRY
FARM)
Nagari Integrated Dairy is one of the farms currently
being operated in the country on a commercial level.
It is reputed to be one of the largest single integrated
dairy farms in Africa. It covers 1,200 hectares of land
and has 7,000 Holstein cattle. In view of the quality of
the products it churns out, the claim that it is among
the top suppliers of high quality farm and dairy
products in Africa is justified.
Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, a former governor of
Nasarawa State and now a senator of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, is the man behind Nagari
Integrated Dairy Farm. Although his fame on the
political scene has overshadowed his agricultural
exploits, Abdullahi can be described as an
accomplished farmer. The success story of Nagari
Integrated Farm is the result of the enterprising
nature of this farmer, lawyer, engineer, technocrat
and consummate politician.
Over the years, Nagari Integrated Dairy has invested
in research and development, and in state-of-the-art
dairy farming technology. The company has
developed its own proprietary dairy farming
expertise and methodologies. This has made it a
benchmark for the efficient production of high quality
dairy products.

9. ALHAJI WAHAB IYANDA FOLAWIYO (FOLAWIYO
FARMS LIMITED)
Folawiyo Farms Limited, located on Yinka Folawiyo
Avenue, Apapa, Lagos, was incorporated on October
4, 1985. It carries out integrated agricultural
production, with branches in several states in
Nigeria. It is owned by renowned business tycoon,
philanthropist and the Baba Adinni of Nigeria, the
late Alhaji Wahab Iyanda Folawiyo.
In matters concerning agriculture, Folawiyo Farms
stands tall in all aspects. They are into livestock
farming, fish farming, flour milling, agro-chemical
production and distribution, agricultural consultancy,
development and engineering, production and supply
of agro-pesticides, farm tools, fertiliser services,
horticulture, and so on.
Folawiyo’s journey to greatness began back in 1957
when he founded Yinka Folawiyo and Sons Limited,
an import and export business empire that includes
holdings in shipping, banking, construction,
agriculture and energy. It is therefore not out of
proportion to say Folawiyo’s business concerns
traverse the entire length and breadth of the Nigerian
economic terrain.

10. PETER ADENIYI (ANU-OLUWA FARMS)
Mr Peter Adeniyi, perhaps, did not understand fully
the fortunes he was sowing to harvest when he
founded Anu-Oluwa Farms in Ibadan, the ancient
capital city of Oyo State. The farm, which has special
interest in poultry and egg production for the
Nigerian market, has become one of the largest
farms in Nigeria.
The farm also sells livestock feeds and materials,
table eggs, day-old chicks, point of lays, fish and fish
fingerlings and livestock vaccines. Adeniyi is one of
the most successful farmers in Nigeria.
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It has been my dream to own a farm. I have this strong connection to farming and plan to retire to a befitting one someday.

nice one op

I wish we can have diary farms in the South, so one can access fresh milk!

Nice research

Ola17:


It has been my dream to own a farm. I have this strong connection to farming and plan to retire to a befitting one someday.

It is not a bad idea

I won't mind having one too