How Ooni Led Young Farmers To Partner With Prominent French Farm In Paris

It was like the giant entry of light into darkness when the Arole Oduduwa & Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, on Tuesday (March 1, 2022) led a team of about a hundred young farmers from Nigeria to France, to partake in the 2022 International Agricultural Show in Paris.

Ooni Ogunwusi who is the Co-Chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), was invited by Business France through the French Embassy in Nigeria, as the Royal patron of the huge international agribusiness event which gathered hundreds of stakeholders in the agricultural sector globally.

The frontline monarch who opened the working tour with a high-powered meeting with the French Minister of Agriculture, Mr Julien Denormandie, equally attended the exhibition of various agricultural produces and products on Wednesday.

Flanked by a team of energetic young farmers, Ooni Adeyeye described agriculture as being synonymous to livelihood, adding that it should be given huge attention by any society that aims to succeed.

Upon his express request, Ooni Ogunwusi was led to the stand of Nigerian farmers and agro entrepreneurs including members of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), commending the patriotic Nigerians for representing the country positively.

Addressing the happy farmers via a speech on the essential role of agriculture in creating employment for youth in Nigeria, Ooni Ogunwusi lauded participants from Nigeria for their steadfastness which he described as the true virtue of Nigeria.

“You have portrayed Nigeria in the positive way, you have shown the world that we are not lazy, I am proud and I promise to assist you to go further in whatever way you may need.” The Ooni pledged.

Later in the day (Wednesday), Ooni Ogunwusi held an open meeting with the Cote D’Ivoire’s Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani, director of the French Ministry Agriculture for the Pays de la Loire region (DRAAF) and the Pays de la Loire High Representative (préfet); French Technical colleges of Agriculture representatives and some government officials from the continent of Africa.

The Ooni during the meeting enumerated his massive investments in the agric sector including his fast-growing Ostrich Farm in Ile-Ife, noting that Africa must invest heavily in the agricultural sector to be self-sufficient and also export across the globe in order to maximize foreign exchange.

“Beyond being the father of over two hundred million descendants of Oduduwa globally, I am pleased to inform you that I am a farmer who is actively involved in all processes of agriculture. I plant, harvest and process into finished products that is useable across the world.

“For instance, I have a very large Ostrich Farm in my kingdom, the first of its kind in Nigeria. Ostrich like you know have the most expensive hide and skin in the world because of its countless use, so we breed the animal in the kingdom of Ife and we have attained a stage of exportation. So we are calling on you for partnership and let’s see what we can achieve together.” The Ooni said.

In the early hours of Thursday, the Ooni made an inspection tour to the Agroecological La Ferme de la Tremblaye in Paris, during which which Management of the facility pledged to collaborate with the monarch towards advancing agriculture in Nigeria.

Represented by his Director of Media & Public Affairs, Otunba Moses Olafare, Professor Adisa Ogunfolakan and other eminent personalities, Ooni Ogunwusi requested for a strong partnership which was expressly granted by a top member of the farm’s Management board who identified himself simply as Mr. Baptist.

“This farm belongs to a family here and you will be amazed to hear what we do here. We generate our own electricity, gas, manure and anything you can ever think of. We are so self sufficient that we supply all villages around and we are glad that a giant king is willing and ready to take this to Africa.” Mr. Baptist said.

On Friday (March 4), Ooni Ogunwusi led his high-powered team on a tour of the National Museum of Natural History, Paris, where he called for the repatriation of all artifacts and antiquities that was taken from Africa.

“I must commend the western world for reversing an agelong error of having our art works with them, these things are beyond mere artworks to us. They are our history, lives and future, so I urge all authorities to ease the repatriation of these items.” Ooni Ogunwusi requested.

The Arole Oduduwa ended the eventful journey on Saturday morning, after a high-powered meeting with members of the French Embassy in Nigeria, during which he pledged to domesticate the content of the outing in his kingdom; Ile-Ife.

After about seven hours of a non-stop flight to Nigeria, the Arole Oduduwa alongside his team of youth farmers and aides touched down in the early hours of Sunday (March 6, 2022) at the prominent Muritala International Airport, Lagos and was received by cheering personalities with which he headed to the ancient Ile-Oodua Palace of Ife.

Since return, the Arole Oduduwa has attended to a lot of personal, social and traditional activities including his heavy presence at the coronation of the Olubadan of Ibadanland yesterday (Friday).