The trainees from the collaboration between the Ijesa Community Development Assembly (ICDA) and the Leventist Foundation Agricultural Training School, Ilesa, Osun State, have successfully graduated after completing their 10-month training program. The program, which comprised 80% practical sessions and 20% theory, culminated in the school’s 30th graduation ceremony held on Thursday, December 12, 2025, at the institution’s premises.
Earlier this year, under the leadership of Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi, the Asiwaju of Ijesaland, ICDA initiated this partnership as part of its Human Capital Development Programme. The initiative was aimed at empowering Ijesa youths in agribusiness, providing them with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in the agricultural sector.
At the graduation ceremony held on Thursday, 85 out of the 96 graduating students hailed from the six Local Government Areas in Ijesaland.
These trainees successfully completed their respective programs in Crop Production, Animal Husbandry, Fishery, Poultry and Piggery, Vegetable and Fruits Cultivation, Cash Crops, Agricultural Engineering, and Beekeeping.
Equipped with practical skills and knowledge, they are now poised to contribute significantly to the economy of Ijesaland, Osun State, and Nigeria.
Their efforts are expected to enhance food security and drive sustainable development in the agricultural sector nationwide.
In his address, the Chairman of ICDA and Asiwaju of Ijesaland, Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi, emphasized the critical need for sustainable solutions to the nation’s food security challenges. “The problem of food security in Nigeria must be carefully designed. It is a complex burner. Food availability, quality, and affordability across households are basic problems currently on the front burner of uncertainty,” he said.
Asiwaju Fasuyi who also bemoaned the shortcomings of government policies in the agricultural sector, noted that the sector has been unable to fulfill its traditional roles of feeding the population, supplying raw materials to industries, and generating substantial earnings to reduce poverty and unemployment.
According to the Asiwaju of Ijesaland, “This developmental initiative arose from the need to reduce unemployment and poverty among the youths in Ijesaland by attracting them into agriculture, training them, and supporting them to adopt improved practices to enhance sustainable livelihoods.”
Chief Fasuyi expressed his confidence for the graduates, stating, “It is my desire that the graduates will act as catalysts of change for an agricultural revolution in their respective communities, improve their socio-economic status, and contribute to food security in Ijesaland, Osun State, and Nigeria at large.”
He further encouraged the trainees, calling them “the new future assets of Ijesaland” and urging them to become leaders in agriculture. “Go to the world and conquer the industries; go to the world and make an impact in a way that will encourage others to emulate you,” he said.
The President of the Ijesa South Council of Traditional Rulers, HRM Oba Kehinde Oyeleye, the Ogboni of Ipole-Ijesa, advised the Ijesa sons and daughters who benefited from the Leventist Foundation Agricultural School’s intensive agric-business training to make the most of the opportunity provided to them.
The Guest Speaker at the event, an agriculture expert from Federal University of Technology Akure, Dr. Abiodun Olasore, called on young Nigerians to turn their attention back to agriculture rather than relying on government jobs.
He highlighted the immense opportunities in farming, using cocoa production as a key example, saying, “The current rate of cocoa is astonishing.” One ton of cocoa now sells for N50 million. This is a wake-up call for youths to work harder and tap into this goldmine.”
The University Don also emphasized the importance of skills acquisition and knowledge, urging youths to adopt the right attitude to succeed. “Attitude is the foundation for gaining skills and knowledge,” he stated.
Drawing inspiration from his personal story, Dr. Olasore described how his father, a hardworking Osomaalo trader, instilled a strong work ethic in him. “My father was never lazy. He would wake up early every morning to hustle, and that shaped my belief in the value of hard work,” he recounted.
Dr. Olasore also underscored the vast natural resources available across Ijesa land, including areas like Ijeda, Iponle, Osu, and Iperindo. “We have an abundance of resources here, but unfortunately, some of our children are idle while people from other tribes come here to benefit from what we have,” he said.
Also speaking, the General Manager (Technical & Training) Leventis Foundation Nigeria, Dr. Felix Obiyan, emphasized the need for youths to “take the bull by the horns” and revolutionize agriculture in Nigeria.
Dr. Obiyan noted that the entire nation and indeed the world is eagerly awaiting innovative and sustainable solutions just as he expressed confidence that the graduates are ready to be part of the solution rather than the problem.”One of the solutions to tackle food insecurity,” he stated, “is by deploying these young, trained individuals—newly skilled agricultural professionals—into massive and sustainable agricultural ventures.”
He urged the graduates to embrace hard work and dedication, putting the knowledge and skills they have acquired into good use.
Dr. Obiyan commended the Asiwaju of Ijesaland and the ICDA for their immense contributions to sustaining the school. “Without their intervention, this school would have been on the verge of closure, as we have only been able to maintain skeletal services for the past five years,” he added.
The Chairman of Egbe Atunluse of Ijesaland, Prof. Olu Obi, urged the graduating students to embrace self-control, which he described as the key to a successful life.
He also encouraged them to uphold the spirit of hard work, emphasizing that Ijesa people are renowned for their industrious nature, not laziness.
In his goodwill message, the Special Assistant to the Osun State Governor on Agriculture, Hon. Olaniyan Akanfe, pledged the continued support of the state government in providing inputs to the school.
He also encouraged the graduating trainees to hit the ground running as they embark on their next journey.
Earlier in his address, the Principal of Leventis Foundation Agricultural Training School in Ilesa, Dr. Popoola Muiddeen, disclosed that this group of graduates is the first batch to complete the training at the Leventis Agricultural Training School, which was established in 1988. Since its inception, the school has trained over 2,900 farmers, many of whom have gone on to become successful agricultural entrepreneurs.
He announced their figures to include 96 students, including 67 men and 29 women, who have successfully completed the one-year agricultural business training program.
According to him, the occasion also marked the celebration of a fruitful partnership between the school and the Ijesa Community Development Assembly (ICDA), maintaining that ICDA has played a vital role in supporting human capital development by empowering Ijesa youths in modern agricultural businesses. Notably, out of the 96 graduates, 85 are from the Ijesha community.
The graduates, according to Dr. Muiddeen, have shown remarkable passion and dedication to agricultural businesses.
The event, which was graced by notable dignitaries, traditional rulers from different local government areas in Ijesaland, community leaders including the Egbe Atunluse Ile Ijesa headed by Professor Olu Obi as the Chairman of the Occasion, featured presentation of awards and donations to exceptional and deserving graduates and staff by Leventis Foundation Agricultural Training School and eminent Ijesa sponsors who made the partnership with the institution possible through their generous financial contributions.
It will be note worthy if in no time they are empowered so as to start in earest. They should be given the necessary financial support to start immediately in other feel their imparct and not playing lip services.