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My visit to obsanjo farms OTA was both full of excitement and surprises. With working for just five (5) days at the large farmland, it was a lifetime experience I won't forget in a long time. I met with great interesting workers, people from different places - asked questions and also get firsthand sight seeing on how modern and best farming practices are done. However, I have a lot Issues with the establishment, especially in terms of worker welfare and food production.
BRIEF HISTORY
Obsanjo farms OTA is undeniably one of the well known farms in Nigeria. It covers a large area of land; with buildings on it, used for growing crops and keeping animals. The farm also housed many farm workers/labourers, farm buildings and farm machinery. As the name implies, the large hectare of farmland is owned by the former head of state and former Ex-president of Nigeria - OLUSEGUN OBASANJO. Former president Olusegun Obasanjo likely is a very intelligent and smart man, who saw the huge potential in the agricultural non-oil sector of the Nigeria economy and utilized it. Of course Obasanjo farms OTA, the farmland has its own past history regarding Issues on land ownership, but I am sure by now, all would have been settled.
Established in 1979, fourty years down the line, Ex-president Olusegun Obsanjo is still active in the business.
BUSINESS
Just like the Songhai farm in Porto-Novo, Obasanjo farms OTA has a great Agro farm setting that applies modern and best farming practices. The farmland is also accessable for Agro investor, exporter or manufacturer within Nigeria and beyond with accommodation for duration of stay. They also have access to high yield seedlings and breed stock, lectures and sight seeing. One can check all necessary information on the official website, which includes the Obasanjo farms vision and mission. With over four decades in business, Obasanjo farms is one of the largest poultry farm in Nigeria.
There isn't much to write about Nigeria agricultural sector, however there is a need to unearth the unlimited opportunities in this non-oil sector of the Nigeria economy. And Obasanjo farms OTA seems to stand in the center of it all. The farm establishment almost does all Agro-based businesses such as poultry farming, turkey farming, pig farming, Grass-cutters farming, and other vegetable plants and cash crops cultivation. Obasanjo farms is a producer of varieties of poultry, livestock and farm products.
LOCATION
Obasanjo farms OTA is setting on 38,000 hectare of land. Obasanjo farms has other large farmland, hectare in land area in other parts of Nigeria, such as Ibadan, Lagos State, Portharcourt and recently in Benue State. But it seems like the one at Sango OTA is the headquarter to all other branches in the country. Located in Ogun State. Due to the popularity, the street and BUS-STOP is named after the company.
Located at the centre of Sango Otta, Obsanjo farms OTA is kilometer from Idiroko road, behind General Hospital OTA, Ogun State.
The farmland can be easily located from Sango OTA. If you are coming from Ifo, Atan, or abeokuta - just take the public transport to Idiroko. From Idiroko, there is Winner Chapel (Canaan Land). It is just N200 bike ride to Obsanjo farms OTA. If you are coming from Ayobo, stop at Lafenwa, Itele. A bike can take you straight up to the bus-stop. At Oru-ore, you can also take a direct transport to the location. The farmland is very popular in these areas.
SECURITY
It was a great experience indeed. The road seemed to have no end. There were just two check points from the main gate to where I was posted - the chicken processing unit. The mopols at each one of them seemed to possessed of a belligerent vitality. They stopped everyone going out from the farmland, irrespective of the department you work in. They stopped every vehicle, searched all nooks and crannies, emptied every bag and sack, dug their eyes into them, barked a thousand questions. And if you are coming in, you will have to sign in by also answering few questions, which involves your department and so on. However, for the fact that hundreds of workers/labourers enter in and goes out from the large farmland, one could wonder why the use of ID cards isn't use. Just standing and looking from the front gate inside, you could see the mould statue of the Ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo with his farm tools, lol. From there, is the admin and accounting office, also the vet office and drug store.
WORKER WELFARE
I have read online from various websites in Nigeria about the number of employed workers in Obasanjo farms. A lot of these websites claimed that nearly 5,500 workers are employed at the farm. Lol, that is quite an incredible stats. Unless the farm they all writes about is not located here in Nigeria. The department I worked, we are not even up to 200 workers. With my calculation and findings from past and present workers in the farm, the total number of workers and labourers are not up to 2,000 in numbers. And we all know that for labourers, they come and go, including those casual workers. Like the famous words - "Soldier come, soldier go - barrack still remains". So, that could leave the total number of active workers at Obasanjo farms down to 1,000 workers.
The treatment of workers at Obasanjo farms OTA is even worse for anyone to even consider working for more than two days. To be sincere, it was not fair at all. Workers are treated just as slaves - no resting hours/periods, no working shift, no breaktime. You could stand all day working without setting down, unless there is power interruption, and that last like how many minutes? 5 minutes. And don't get me started on workers salary, they are delayed almost every time. I don't want to go into the incompetent of those in the accounting office, those in charge of paying workers. They are the worse of them all. You will have to go to the accounting office each time for your weekly payment, and even, it is just under maybe situation. There was one scenario where the accounting office has to give excuse for lack of payment due to the lack of funds. The pay is not even much for such treatments. Even the staff, still suffers much more in terms of salary payment.
OBA'S FROZEN FOODS (CHICKEN)
As said earlier, Obasanjo farms is a producer of varieties of poultry and farm products. However, to my widest surprise, one could have never thought imagine that frozen foods (chicken) as part of the business. This is by far my best experience. I got to have first hand experience to see all the processes that goes into producing and packaging frozen chickens for sales. From the onset - electrocution of the chickens, handpicking, sterilizing, cutting, selecting, weighing, sorting, packaging - down to the cool rooms (storage). This was a great experience for me. You can see how workers work really hard and uncomfortably. It was so horrible.
OBA'S frozen foods production is all done inside a factory settings, with all work hectic and quality assurance in placed. But unfortunately, they still failed awfully in that aspect. Most of the chickens are underaged, permit me to use the word "agric". From asking few questions around, I found out that these chickens are injected 2 months old, which seems very true. So, I decided to go around the factory. Checking through the production factory, I went directly to the weighing section. What I found was quite shocking. A whole chicken, the biggest, were not more than 5-7kg in when scaled. You could tell by the way those chickens are easily tore apart with just bare hands. I stood wondering where these frozen foods are being transported and sold to. I have hardly heard or never seen or come across OBA'S frozen chicken before, not even seen it sold in supermarkets. For me, the production of OBA'S frozen foods is non-hygienic and not healthy to who ever would consume it.
You could easily recognize the OBA'S frozen chicken by the five fingers logo. The factory also produces packaged chicken wings, chicken laps, and chicken breast. The chicken laps are packaged inside a rectangular shaped box, with the OBA'S logo. I heard it is sales a carton for N27,000. Wow!!! For chickens as immature as that, I wouldn't even buy for s lesser price.
FAQs
1. What is Obasanjo Farms OTA?
- Obasanjo Farms OTA is a large farm in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, known for agriculture.
2. Who started Obasanjo Farms OTA?
- Obasanjo Farms OTA was started by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. Now managed by his first son, mostly seen at the Ota farm location.
3. What does Obasanjo Farms OTA do?
- The farm raises animals like poultry and cattle, and also grows crops.
4. Where is Obasanjo Farms OTA located?
- It is located in Ota, which is in Ogun State, Nigeria. Not to far from idiroko sango Ota. Popularly known as obasanjo farms road by transporters and commuters.
5. How big is Obasanjo Farms OTA?
- The farm covers a large area of hundreds acres in Ota, making it one of the notable farms in the region and biggest in Nigeria.
6. How many workers are employed at Obasanjo Farms OTA?
- Obasanjo Farms OTA employs many workers, upto a thousand in numbers to manage its farming operations. Great division of labour put in placed.
7. What benefits do workers at Obasanjo Farms OTA receive?
- Workers at Obasanjo Farms OTA receive unfair wages, bad working experience and working conditions, and little access to healthcare.
8. What types of animals does Obasanjo Farms OTA raise?
- The farm raises poultry (chickens, turkeys, etc.) and cattle.
9. Does Obasanjo Farms OTA grow crops?
- Yes, Obasanjo Farms OTA grows crops such as maize, cassava, and vegetables.
10. How does Obasanjo Farms OTA contribute to the community?
- Obasanjo Farms OTA helps by providing food, jobs, and supporting local agriculture in Nigeria.
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