The South-West Development Commission has partnered with the Technology Innovation and Sustainable Development for a project that will boost food production and improve infrastructural development in South-West rural communities.
According to a statement on Tuesday, the project, christened ‘Transformed Communities’, will be structured to support clusters of contiguous farming communities through coordinated improvements in essential infrastructure, farming, small-scale agro-processing, enterprise support, and skills development.
“With FTID as a technical partner, TransComs will expand economic opportunity and improve quality of life in rural and semi-urban areas across the Southwest region. TransComs is being jointly developed under a structured implementation framework, with rollout expected to proceed in phases, subject to formal approvals and inter-governmental coordination,” the statement read in part.
Speaking during a recent meeting with the FTID Executive Director, Prof Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, the SWDC Executive Director of Commercial and Environmental Development, Fatai Ibikunle, said the project was a priority for the commission.
Ibikunle explained that though the Southwest is Nigeria’s leading economic region, “wide disparities persist between major urban centres and rural communities where food production and other agricultural activities take place.”
He pointed out that many rural communities in the region continue to face infrastructure gaps, limited access to markets, and insufficient pathways for youth employment and enterprise growth.
“The TransComs is conceptualised to provide essential infrastructure that will ease farmers’ activities, attract agro-processing industries, facilitate access to markets, provide enterprise support and skills development, especially for youths. The initiative encourages community participation and local ownership, holding potential for measurable outcomes rather than isolated or short-term interventions,” Ibikunle said.
Initial deployment is expected to begin with pilot communities, after which the programme is expected to scale across the six states in the region based on readiness, partnership alignment, and resource availability.
Commenting on the project, SWDC Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Charles Akinola, said the initiative is one of the commission’s flagship projects, specially aimed at transforming agriculture and boosting food security in the region in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He noted that TransComs supports the commission’s broader mandate to drive infrastructure expansion, industrial development, human capital growth, and job creation under its regional integration framework.
“Transformed communities are expected to contribute to stronger rural incomes, improve access to basic services, and build more resilient local economies across the Southwest,” Akinola said.
