Chief Adejo Bags Ooni’s Recognition, Clinches Akoni Oodua Agbeparapo Leadership Award
In a moment thick with emotion and disbelief, Chief Sir Engineer Abiodun Frederick Adejo stood adorned in flowing traditional attire, his voice steady but reflective, as he recounted the unexpected turn his life’s work had taken.
“I was surprised,” he admitted, still absorbing the weight of the honour bestowed upon him by the revered Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Enitan Adeyemi Ogunwusi, Ojaja 11, who is one of Yorubaland’s most powerful monarchs.
“The little things I was doing in my own corner… I didn’t know people were watching.” Adejo declared.
For decades, Adejo’s world has revolved not around titles or recognition, but around soil, sweat, and service. A farmer by calling and conviction, he built what many now describe as a self-sustaining agricultural hub—stretching across more than a thousand hectares and employing over 400 workers from across Nigeria.
Engineers, lawyers, labourers, and traders all converge on his land, forming a rare ecosystem where professions blur and purpose unites. But beyond employment, Adejo’s vision runs deeper.
On his farm, workers are not just employees—they are stakeholders. Land is allocated for personal cultivation, livestock roam in integrated systems, and food production spans everything from cassava to poultry. What began as a farm has quietly evolved into something far more ambitious: a community.
Locals have even given it a nickname—“Small London.”
The reason is not far-fetched. Within the rural expanse, Adejo has introduced electricity, piped water, housing, and road infrastructure—amenities often absent in many Nigerian communities. Each year, roads leading to the farm are repaired, not just for his benefit, but for neighboring farmers who now depend on the improved access.
Yet, despite the scale of his achievements, Adejo insists his work is guided by something greater than ambition.
“God gives wealth for a reason,” he said firmly. “And that reason is to bless others.”
It is a philosophy he has lived by—quietly channeling resources into ensuring those around him can eat, work, and live with dignity. Recognition, he suggests, was never the goal.
That is what made the royal honour all the more striking.
“I have never had anything to do with Ife,” he said, still sounding puzzled. “So I don’t know… it is God.”
Now in his 70s, Adejo, who is the Chairman of the Ondo state Agricultural Commodities Association (OSACA) and the state Coordinator of the Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations (FACAN) stands as both a symbol and a warning in a country grappling with youth unemployment and food insecurity. His message to younger generations is urgent, almost pleading: return to the land.
“Everybody is a farmer,” he declared. “Without food, we cannot survive.”
He urges Nigerians—especially urban dwellers—to rethink their dependence on processed foods and embrace local produce. Cassava, yam, and homegrown crops, he says, are not just healthier, but a pathway to independence.
To the youth, he declared that farming is not failure—it is freedom.
“Farming can make you a happy old man,” he said with a faint smile. “Independent, healthy, and at peace.”
As he reflected on his life—on outliving many of his peers, on building something that now sustains hundreds—his tone softened into gratitude.
“It is not by my power,” he said. “It is the work of God.”
And perhaps that is the quiet force behind his story: not just a man who farmed the land, but one who cultivated a community—until even a king could no longer ignore it.
His dedication has not gone unnoticed. Honorable Akinloye Oguniyi Ebel, General Secretary of the Ondo State Agricultural Commodities Association OSACA, praised Chief Adejo’s philanthropic impact.
“Humanity is being reckoned with in terms of contribution towards the development of people around them and to the entire farmers of Ondo State,” he said.
“He is a father, a brother… a man who sees everybody as one.”
Family, colleagues, and community members echoed this sentiment.
The General Manager of Abiss Farm and Chief Adejo’s brother, called the award a “reflection of hard work and dedication,” while Olanipekun Victor, the farm’s Admin Manager, emphasized that “a wealth that cannot reflect in the life of others is useless wealth. Baba has devoted his life to blessing others.”
Vice Chairman, Women of OSACA ,Farmer Taye Afilaka, hailed Chief Adejo as a “dynamic and practical” leader whose entrepreneurial acumen has shaped Ondo State’s oil palm and agriculture industry.
Even the coordinators of Akoni Oodua Global Service Limited noted his articulate, responsible, and culturally rooted leadership, highlighting his commitment to giving back to the less privileged.
Behind the accolades and royal recognition, his wife, Lady Funmilola Adejo, expressed gratitude, urging women to support and pray for their husbands so that they may excel.
From the quiet fields of Ondo State to the halls of the Ooni’s palace, Chief Adejo’s story is one of humility, service, and vision—a reminder that true leadership grows from the soil, nourished by hard work and a heart for people.
Represented by Arole Oodua of Ife, A.R.H Awofiranye Kayode J.P, the Ooni of Ife Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi Oja 11 showered royal prayers on chief Adejo at the end of the occasion held at the hall of Ile nla in the palace.
The occasion also featured lecture presentation by the Dean of Faculty of Agriculture of the Obafemi Awolowo University ,Ile Ife Prof. Femi Ajayi who spoke on sustaining Food Security in the 21st Century: The Nigerian Perspective
