Farmers across Kwara State have received agricultural inputs aimed at boosting food production and strengthening farming activities under the “Feed Kwara, Grow Kwara” initiative of the Muhydeen Okunlola Kayode (MOK) Foundation.
The foundation said the intervention, which has been ongoing since 2023, is focused on empowering farmers with essential farm inputs, improving productivity, and supporting sustainable agriculture across communities in the state.
In a statement issued by the foundation’s spokesperson, Nurudeen Muhammad, and obtained by Arewa PUNCH on Thursday, the organisation disclosed that the programme has reached farmers in all 16 local government areas of Kwara State.
According to the statement, beneficiaries received fertilisers, herbicides, improved seeds, sprayers, irrigation equipment, and other farming tools designed to improve crop yields and strengthen food security ahead of the rainy season.
The foundation noted that communities in Kwara South, including Offa, Oyun, Irepodun, Isin, and Oke-Ero local government areas, recorded significant participation in the programme, with hundreds of farmers benefiting from the intervention.
It added that farmers in communities such as Ajase-Ipo, Omu-Aran, Erin-Ile, Igosun, Ilemona, and Oke-Onigbin were supported through structured and verifiable distribution processes.
“Our agricultural support initiative is driven by a simple principle: if you are a Kwaran who farms, you qualify. We do not discriminate based on ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation because hunger does not discriminate,” the statement read.
The foundation also dismissed allegations by the Kwara South Development Forum, which claimed that a recent farm input distribution exercise was politically motivated and insensitive to prevailing security challenges in parts of the region.
Reacting to the claims, the organisation said it “condemns in the strongest terms” the wave of insecurity affecting communities across Kwara State, including incidents of kidnappings and killings, while expressing solidarity with affected victims and families.
However, it described attempts to associate its agricultural intervention with criminality as “false and dangerous,” warning that such narratives could undermine community rebuilding efforts and discourage support for local farmers.
“To be clear, the MOK Foundation does not fund criminality. We are not a law enforcement agency. Our responsibility is to support verified farmers. If any beneficiary is later found to be involved in crime, it is for security agencies to investigate and act,” the statement added.
The foundation stressed that the “Feed Kwara, Grow Kwara” initiative remains focused on improving access to agricultural resources, empowering farmers, and increasing food production across the state.
It further disclosed plans to expand the intervention to more communities in Kwara South as part of its phased implementation strategy for the 2026 planting season.
While acknowledging the security challenges affecting farming activities in some communities, the organisation said it had complemented its agricultural support programmes with community-based interventions, including assistance to local vigilante groups and the installation of solar-powered lighting infrastructure.
“Security and economic empowerment must go hand in hand. You cannot separate food production from the safety of those who produce it,” the statement noted.
The foundation reiterated its commitment to supporting farmers across Kwara State and called on stakeholders to support initiatives that promote agricultural development, rural empowerment, and food security.