Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has secured strategic partnerships with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to boost agribusiness investment, cocoa processing and climate resilience in the state.

The partnerships followed the Governor’s high-level mission to FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, from October 29 to 30, 2026, and a subsequent visit to Amsterdam, Netherlands, to explore solutions to coastal erosion and sea incursion.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, says discussions with the FAO Investment Centre focused on technical support for bankable agricultural investment projects and the proposed Ondo State Agrifood Investment Summit.

The Governor also held talks with Ferrero Group on local cocoa processing, technology transfer, long-term offtake arrangements and job creation.

Ferrero is expected to re-engage with the state by the end of November, with a possible scoping visit in early 2027.

The statement adds that Ondo State has expressed interest in enrolling Akure in the FAO Green Cities Network to promote sustainable urban development, urban agriculture and green enterprises.

In Amsterdam, Governor Aiyedatiwa met with environmental experts and companies to explore sustainable coastal protection, erosion control and land reclamation solutions for Aiyetoro and other vulnerable communities in Ilaje Local Government Area.

The Governor is expected to approve a joint FAO-Ondo technical coordination mechanism to advance the proposed partnerships and coastal resilience programme.

The state government says the engagements are part of efforts to attract investment, create jobs, boost agricultural value addition and build a climate-resilient economy.