The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Ekiti State has resolved its internal leadership dispute with the election and inauguration of a unified state executive committee led by Sunday Adekogbon.

The election, supervised in Ado Ekiti by AFAN Deputy National President I and chairman of the state elections committee, Daniel Okafor, marked the end of a three-year crisis that had produced parallel leadership structures within the association.

Okafor said the reconciliation of factions would restore access to government support for farmers and strengthen agricultural productivity in the state. He urged the new leadership to immediately begin conducting elections at the local government and ward levels to consolidate unity within the association.

AFAN in Ekiti had been divided since the emergence of two rival chairmen, Rufus Oni and Adebola Alagbada, a development stakeholders said limited farmers’ access to state and federal interventions.

Okafor said the association was developing programmes to improve farmers’ welfare nationwide, including compiling farmer data, introducing a health scheme and strengthening cooperative structures. He added that AFAN was also working toward establishing market systems that would allow farmers greater control over the sale of their produce and reduce post-harvest losses through processing and value addition.

Adekogbon described the reconciliation as a turning point for farmers in the state, noting that the prolonged division had slowed agricultural progress and limited engagement with government. He pledged to prioritise farmers’ welfare and strengthen collaboration with authorities to improve support for agricultural activities.

The Senior Special Adviser to the governor on Agricultural Extension Services, Sikiru Olowoyo, said the reconciliation would enable farmers to benefit directly from government interventions. He commended Biodun Oyebanji for supporting efforts to unify the association.

AFAN National Youth Leader, Tunde Adeyemi, described the emergence of a single leadership structure as essential for effective coordination between farmers and government programmes, while the Southwest Zonal Leader, Femi Adeniyi, said the development could attract investment opportunities, particularly in cassava production across the region.