Action Alliance (AA) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Adebayo Titilola-Sodo, has promised to establish at least one cottage industry in every local government area if elected governor in 2027, as part of plans to boost agricultural processing, create rural wealth and strengthen local economies.
Titilola-Sodo said his proposed administration would introduce a matching-grant scheme under which farmers could receive government support to establish small-scale processing industries, particularly in agrarian communities across Oke-Ogun, Ibarapa and Ogbomoso.
Speaking on Monday at a governorship forum organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, in Ibadan, the AA candidate said his administration would encourage farmers to organise themselves into groups and invest in cottage industries suited to the agricultural produce of their communities.
He said the initiative would reduce dependence on large-scale operators and ensure that rural communities retained more economic benefits from their agricultural activities.
“The plan—and this will not be a full government outfit, but we will not leave it to the private operators alone—we’ll encourage the farmers in each zone such that in each local government, there will be at least one cottage industry,” he said.
Titilola-Sodo explained that communities known for particular agricultural produce would be encouraged to establish processing facilities to add value to their products before transporting them to external markets.
Using mango production as an example, he said communities with substantial mango harvests should have industries capable of processing the fruits locally.
He said the arrangement would help farmers earn more from their produce while creating opportunities for rural businesses and employment.
Sodo proposes matching grants for farmers
The AA candidate proposed a cost-sharing arrangement between farmers and the government to finance the cottage industries.
He said a group of farmers seeking to establish an industry estimated at N20 million could contribute N10 million, with the government providing the remaining N10 million.
“If they put themselves together, like maybe we have 10 farmers, the cottage industry will cost like N20 million—just for example—if they are able to raise N10 million among them, the government will add N10 million to it to ensure that that industry comes alive,” he said.
The proposed scheme would make government support conditional on farmers organising themselves and raising part of the required investment.
Candidate promises greater local government autonomy
Titilola-Sodo also pledged to promote decentralised governance and ensure that local government areas retain greater economic benefits from projects executed within their territories.
He criticised the practice of awarding contracts to operators who are not residents of the communities where projects are executed, arguing that profits taken outside those areas deprive local economies of additional economic activity.
According to him, contractors who execute projects in a local government area but take their profits to other states contribute to what he described as the evacuation of resources.
He maintained that Section 7 of the Nigerian Constitution provides for local government administration and oversight but does not justify taking away councils’ responsibilities and transferring them to other authorities.
His position formed part of his broader argument for greater financial and administrative autonomy for local governments.
Sodo highlights workers’ welfare record
On workers’ welfare, the former labour leader said his experience working with Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration had demonstrated the importance of protecting workers and pensioners.
He claimed that he and other members of the administration’s original team contributed significantly to its achievements in workers’ welfare, which he described as one of its most successful sectors.
Titilola-Sodo, a former Special Adviser to Makinde, also recounted how he intervened to prevent an early confrontation between the governor and organised labour over the national minimum wage following Makinde’s inauguration in 2019.
He said his experience in labour relations would inform his approach to workers’ welfare if elected governor.
The AA candidate, however, criticised Makinde’s reported preference for Bimbo Adekanmbi as his successor, accusing the governor of sidelining members of the team that helped build his administration.
He dismissed suggestions that he was running as a placeholder for another political interest or would eventually abandon his governorship ambition to support Makinde’s preferred candidate.
Earlier, Correspondents’ Chapel Chairman Yinka Adeniran said the forum was organised to give governorship candidates equal opportunities to present their programmes to the electorate.
He said the chapel would make its platform available to candidates across political parties as part of efforts to contribute to democratic development.
