Makinde made the call at the launch of the Agri-Connect Nigeria Country Compact held at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan.
According to the governor, Nigeria has hardworking farmers, research institutions, young innovators and a large domestic market, but the country continues to face challenges including high food prices, poverty among farmers and post-harvest losses.
He said increasing agricultural production alone would not solve Nigeria’s food and economic challenges, stressing the need to connect production with research, extension services, finance, rural infrastructure, storage, processing, standards, logistics and markets.
“Agriculture must be treated as a complete economic system. Production must connect to research, extension efforts, finance, rural roads, storage, processing, standards, logistics and markets,” Makinde said.
He added that failure in one part of the agricultural value chain could negatively affect the entire system, leaving farmers with lower incomes, processors operating below capacity and consumers paying more for food.
The governor also said the country needed to attract more young Nigerians into agriculture by presenting it as a viable business and professional opportunity rather than a social obligation.
“We don’t want agriculture to just be for the older people. We want to attract young Nigerians because this is the new generation,” he said.
The call came as Makinde also acknowledged that states now receive more money from the Federation Account but questioned whether the increase had translated into better food security.
Speaking at an APM North-Central Town Hall Meeting in Lafia, Nasarawa State, he said the increase in federal allocations had not sufficiently addressed hunger.
“Yes, in terms of the totality of the money, yes, we have more money, but has it translated to fighting hunger in our society? The answer is no,” he said.
The governor said Oyo State depended on federal allocation for more than 80 per cent of its revenue when he assumed office in 2019, adding that the dependence had fallen to about 65 per cent by 2022 before subsequently rising again to almost 80 per cent.
Makinde's comments place agriculture and food security within the wider question of how increased public revenues are being translated into tangible economic outcomes for citizens.
At the Agri-Connect launch, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Abubakar Kyari similarly said Nigeria's challenge was not a shortage of agricultural programmes or investments, but the need to better connect existing interventions.
Kyari said the initiative would focus on strengthening agricultural productivity and resilience, improving the policy and regulatory environment, and developing a financial ecosystem capable of expanding access to capital.
The minister said the compact targets the creation of 2.5 million direct jobs by 2030, provision of quality seeds and fertilisers to 9.5 million farmers and development of irrigation infrastructure covering 90,000 hectares.
World Bank and IFC representative Olivier Buyoya said agriculture contributes nearly 25 per cent of Nigeria's GDP and employs about 29 million people, while significant constraints remain in access to finance, infrastructure, technology, quality inputs and reliable markets.
He said the focus should not simply be on increasing production but on strengthening the entire chain from the farm to the market.
For Makinde, the measure of success should ultimately be reflected in more productive farms, stronger agricultural businesses, better-paying jobs, reduced post-harvest losses, increased processing and more affordable food for Nigerians.
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