Ogun State Lawmakers Advance Bill for Agricultural Land agency

News in Brief

-Ogun State lawmakers passed for second reading a bill for an Agricultural Land Management Agency to secure tenure and boost farming investments in the state.

-Sponsor, Hon. Waliu Owode, says it will create jobs, enhance food security, and cut rural land disputes, which make up 90% of petitions in the house.

The Ogun State House of Assembly has advanced a bill to establish an agency for managing agricultural land, regulating usage, and promoting responsible practices beyond the second reading stage. Ogun State Agricultural Land Management Agency Law 2025 has advanced to the committee review stage.

The bill was sponsored by Hon. Waliu Owode (PDP-Ijebu East) and seconded by Hon. Folawewo Salami (APC-Ifo II). In his motion, which gained popular support in the house, Owode explained that the proposed legislation was designed to provide a comprehensive framework for responsible and inclusive land-intensive agricultural investment in the state.

He further highlighted how the bill would secure land tenure, boost investor confidence, enhance productivity, strengthen food security, create jobs, and increase state revenue.

“The proposed law will boost investors’ confidence in the agricultural sector, enhance agricultural productivity, strengthen food security, and create jobs. It will also increase internally generated revenue for the state and help to reduce land-related disputes that have continued to hinder agricultural growth,” he said.

Ease Land Acquisition, Eliminate Illegal Occupation

Minority Leader, Hon. Lukman Adeleye and Hon. Oluseun Adesanya (PDP-Ijebu North-East) backed the bill, describing it as vital for easing rural land acquisition, ensuring compensation for traditional owners, and curbing disputes that make up 90% of House petitions.

The Speaker of the House, Hon Oludaisi Elemide, committed the bill to the Committees on Agriculture, Lands, and Housing. He also stressed it would eliminate illegal occupations, curb misuse, and align land restoration with global best practices.

Improving Agricultural Land Use

The proposed Ogun State Agricultural Land Management Agency Law will enhance land use for agriculture by introducing a clear, centralised system for identifying, allocating, and regulating land specifically designated for farming. By securing land tenure and formalising access to agricultural land, the agency would reduce uncertainty for farmers and agribusiness investors, encouraging long-term investments in mechanisation, irrigation, and soil improvement. Clear documentation and oversight would also discourage practices such as multiple sales of the same land by omo-onile, illegal occupation, and unchecked conversion of farmland to non-agricultural uses, helping to preserve arable land for food production.

In addition, the agency is expected to strengthen enforcement and land-use planning across rural areas, curbing destructive activities like illegal sand mining, corporate encroachment, and indiscriminate land clearing that degrade farmland and displace farming communities. By aligning land restoration and usage with best practices, resolving disputes through structured processes, and ensuring fair compensation to traditional landowners, the bill would significantly cut land-related conflicts that dominate legislative petitions. This more orderly land management framework would enhance productivity, safeguard rural livelihoods, bolster food security, and foster a more stable environment for agricultural growth across Ogun State.