The Oyo State Government Ministry of Agriculture paid a visit to the Ipapo community on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, with the aim of re-establishing the Otiiri Farm Settlement. During the visit, Mr. Abiola Olasupo, representing the ministry, reaffirmed that the settlement is located on Ipapo land, citing records from 1972 when the government acquired the land from Ipapo during the reign of Oba Eleyinpo Amusa Ayisa Abioye I. He urged the community to prevent encroachment on government land and emphasized the importance of agriculture, assuring the community that the ministry would bring similar benefits to Otiiri Farm Settlement as those experienced by Fashola Farm Settlement.
The ministry also clarified that the signpost inscription “IPAPO/ISEYIN” merely indicates the settlement’s location on Ipapo land along Iseyin road, not joint ownership or donation of land by both towns. Olasupo added that the ministry plans to trace the settlement’s boundaries with neighboring communities and families to prevent further encroachment.
In response, HRM Oba Yekini Ademola Abioye II, the Eleyinpo of Ipapo, expressed gratitude to the ministry for the visit and thanked Governor Seyi Makinde for the initiative. The monarch requested that the ministry correct the signpost inscription to reflect the 1972 records and fulfill its promise to re-establish boundaries to prevent land encroachment. Chief Parakoyi from Oluwo family Ipapo and Pa Olayiwola from Mogaji family, who shared boundaries with the farm settlement, also thanked the governor for the new effort and prayed for swift action on boundary re-establishment to prevent further encroachment.
The visit is expected to contribute to high food production and curb illegal land incursion. By re-establishing the farm settlement and tracing boundaries, the ministry aims to promote agricultural development and protect land ownership rights. The community welcomed the initiative, hoping it would bring new opportunities for agricultural growth and development.
(Folarin principal Secretary to Eleyinpo palace )
