Across the length and breadth of Ebiraland and the entire Kogi Central Senatorial District, one message is becoming increasingly common among many farmers: agriculture deserves a stronger voice in Abuja, and we believe that voice is Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
For us, farming is more than an occupation, it is our heritage, our pride, and the source of livelihood for thousands of families. Every rainy season, we cultivate our lands with hope. Every harvest represents school fees for our children, food for our homes, and survival for our communities. Yet, despite our resilience, we continue to face enormous challenges, from the high cost of farm inputs and inadequate mechanized equipment to poor rural roads, insecurity, limited access to finance, and post-harvest losses.
These realities have convinced many of us that Kogi Central needs a Senator with proven leadership experience, strong national connections, and the capacity to attract opportunities that can transform the lives of ordinary farmers.
Many of us remember that during his time as Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello placed considerable attention on agriculture. Through programmes that sought to support farmers with improved seedlings, fertilizers, mechanization initiatives, and partnerships with development agencies, including World Bank-supported agricultural interventions, many farming communities felt that government was paying greater attention to their needs.
To us, that experience matters.
We believe that someone who has governed a state understands where opportunities exist and knows how to engage federal institutions, development partners, and investors to bring projects closer to the people.
That is why many farmers across Kogi Central see Yahaya Bello’s Senate aspiration as more than a political ambition. We see it as an opportunity to elevate agriculture from local discussions to national priorities.
We believe that, as a Senator, Yahaya Bello can use his experience, relationships, and influence to advocate for more federal agricultural interventions, attract strategic partnerships, and ensure that Kogi Central benefits from programmes that support farmers with improved inputs, irrigation, mechanized farming, storage facilities, processing centres, extension services, and access to affordable financing.
For us, this is the kind of representation that truly matters, not representation that is seen only during elections, but representation that translates influence into practical opportunities for ordinary people.
Many of us also believe that Yahaya Bello understands that agriculture is the quickest path to economic prosperity in Kogi Central. Every bag of rice harvested, every basket of cassava processed, every truckload of maize transported, and every yam sold in the market contributes to the growth of our local economy.
When farmers prosper, market women prosper.
When farmers prosper, transporters earn more.
When farmers prosper, artisans get more work.
When farmers prosper, our youths find employment instead of abandoning our villages in search of uncertain opportunities elsewhere.
That is why we believe agriculture deserves to remain at the centre of our development agenda.
Our expectation is not limited to crop farming alone. We hope to see greater support for livestock production, poultry, fisheries, beekeeping, agro-processing, and youth-driven agribusinesses. We want our women farmers empowered with training, credit facilities, and equipment that will increase productivity and improve household incomes.
We also believe that Kogi Central has the potential to become one of Nigeria’s leading agricultural zones if the right partnerships are built and sustained. Our fertile land, hardworking people, and strategic location are enormous advantages. What has often been missing is the level of national advocacy needed to attract investments and large-scale agricultural projects.
Many of us believe Yahaya Bello possesses that capacity.
His years in public office have given him experience in governance and access to networks that, in our opinion, can be leveraged to attract development initiatives that directly benefit our rural communities.
As farmers, we do not measure leadership only by speeches. We measure it by the opportunities it creates for ordinary people. We believe that a Senator should not merely participate in debates on the floor of the National Assembly but should also be a bridge between the people and the opportunities available at the federal and international levels.
Our farms need investments.
Our cooperatives need support.
Our rural roads need improvement.
Our produce needs access to bigger markets.
Our youths need jobs.
Our women need empowerment.
Our communities need development.
These are the reasons many farmers across Ebiraland and Kogi Central are expressing confidence in Yahaya Bello’s Senate bid.
To us, this election is about choosing someone we believe can use experience, influence, and partnerships to strengthen agriculture, expand economic opportunities, and improve the lives of rural families.
We believe that if agriculture succeeds, Kogi Central succeeds.
If the farmer smiles, the community smiles.
If the villages prosper, the entire district prospers.
For many of us who wake before dawn to cultivate the land that feeds our nation, our hope is simple: to have a representative who will continue to champion the cause of farmers, attract meaningful opportunities, and ensure that the voices of Kogi Central’s hardworking men and women are heard where national decisions are made.
That is why many of us believe Yahaya Bello remains a leader capable of giving our farmers a stronger voice, greater opportunities, and renewed hope for a more prosperous Kogi Central.
– Comrade Danfulani Lukman Ohinoyi writes from Okene.
