The recently concluded Oyo 2025 Agribusiness Summit underscored the critical role of technology in achieving national food security, with Afrimash, the Ibadan-based agritech firm, emerging as a central figure in the discourse, reports NaijaAgroNet.
Throughout the event, the Afrimash pavilion became a dynamic hub for innovation and collaboration, attracting a diverse audience that included farmers seeking immediate, practical solutions, students eager for exposure to agritech career paths, policymakers exploring scalable strategies for rural outreach, and development partners investigating effective collaboration models.
Leading the charge was Afrimash Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Akinwumi Oyedotun, who articulated a compelling vision that digital tools are not merely a convenience but a necessity for tackling Nigeria’s persistent agricultural challenges. A pivotal moment occurred during the official tour, led by the State Governor, who engaged directly with the Afrimash demonstration. Akinwumi Oyedotun provided a hands-on walkthrough of the company’s digital solutions, showcasing true grassroots technology adoption. He demonstrated the company's USSD code, highlighting how farmers with even basic feature phones can use it to order inputs, track deliveries, and access vital veterinary guidance. Furthermore, he presented AVA (Afrimash Virtual Advisor) on WhatsApp, which processes voice notes sent in local languages to deliver instant, AI-driven advice on crucial topics like disease control, optimal feeding regimens, and breed selection.
The Governor responded with visible enthusiasm, immediately recognizing the practicality and extensive reach of these tools, especially for mitigating the information and input gaps faced by farmers in remote, underserved areas. This interaction reinforced the summit's core message: Afrimash is fundamentally empowering farmers with trusted solutions, moving beyond simple product sales and focusing on tangible impact. Oyedotun's leadership is informed by a deep history in impactful national agricultural technology; over a decade ago, prior to the current agritech boom, he was a key technical architect at Cellulant, developing the foundational USSD and mobile infrastructure for Nigeria’s landmark Fertilizer Subsidy and Voucher Programme, which later evolved into the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GES). This system was a GovTech milestone, dramatically reducing corruption and ensuring subsidies were delivered directly to verified beneficiaries, a testament to Oyedotun’s technical expertise in building scalable, secure systems for national development.
Today, while proudly rooted in Ibadan, Afrimash has scaled its reliable services—including verified livestock inputs, secure payments, and doorstep deliveries—to farmers across Nigeria. The platform has successfully transitioned from being just a marketplace to a trusted partner in the farming ecosystem. As the summit closed, Afrimash affirmed its strong commitment to deepening collaboration with the Oyo State Government, outlining plans to support improvements in state extension services, expand access to verified, quality agricultural inputs, and deploy digital tools to reach the most remote communities within the state. The overarching sentiment at Oyo 2025 was conclusive: Afrimash is actively shaping Nigeria’s agricultural transformation, proving that the future of farming is not only digital and practical but is built upon deeply human and trustworthy connections.
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