According to Nairaland.
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 formally opened 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 ccomplished 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.
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.
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.
