For many academics who work tirelessly to produce groundbreaking researches expected to turn things around, they never thought they could turn their sweat to sweet and the evidence is seen in many researchers wallowing in abject poverty. With Dr. Adeola Odedina Former Commissioner for Agriculture in Ogun State the narrative is different as he not only turn his research on cassava to a high yield cassava variety that upturned the existing dogma, he also proved that with the proceed of farming, a determined mind can.make a fortune that surpasses imagination. This was what played out in the story of this enigma, a Researcher and serial farmer. His story is a lesson in dedication, commitment and belive in the power of vision. The Business Package brings to you a scintillating experience and experiment that will not only encourage farmers, scientists and researchers ,but has the capacity to cause a turn around in the quest to turn research to enterprise.
Excerpts.
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Fifteen years ago, Dr. Adeola Odedina and his family boarded a plane to Berlin with a suitcase full of data and a dream that would soon travel farther than the Rhine.
At the International Soil Science Conference they presented “Integrated Nutrient Management for Sustainable Production of Cassava in Southwestern Nigeria.”
The paper, born on the Odedinas’ own farm, sparked a chorus of admiration from scientists who were grappling with low cassava yields, soaring fertilizer costs, and a changing climate.
“The work resonated because it spoke to the very real constraints farmers face—high input costs, climate stress, and the need for integrated solutions,” Dr. Odedina recalls.
Back home, the family did not keep the knowledge to themselves. They began applying the integrated nutrient‑management practices on their own fields, year after year, without a break.
Their commitment caught the eye of the management at the college where Dr. Odedina taught. When truckloads of cassava began rolling out of the land he was using, the administration issued a quit notice.
Undeterred, the Odedinas expanded. They leased 50 hectares in Uso and Ita Ogbolu near Akure and set their sights on the next frontier: planting material.
In Cape Town, at the International Crop Science Society conference, Dr. Odedina unveiled a startling result—50 tons of cassava per hectare, a five‑fold jump over the continental average of 6‑10 t/ha.
The reaction was explosive.
“As soon as I projected the results, a loud voice shouted, ‘No! Please, this is not possible!’” he remembers, a half‑smile crossing his face. “People were walking out, muttering, ‘These Nigerians have started again.’”
A Kenyan scientist, however, refused to let the room fall silent.
“Let’s listen to him, there must be something to learn,” she urged, and with her insistence the presentation limped to a close, half the audience already in protest.
The paper survived the controversy. It was published, cited, and became a cornerstone for a new generation of cassava agronomists.
From Research to Business
When the applause faded, Dr. Odedina turned to his wife and said:
“From now on, you keep doing the research, and I’ll turn the results into food and money for the family.”
They did just that. The family launched a commercial cassava‑stem production enterprise—pioneering in scale across sub‑Saharan Africa. Within two years (2012‑2014) they were the major fresh‑root supplier to Matna Starch Company in Ondo State, winning Best Farmer of the Year three times in a row.
The success did not go unnoticed. USAID, already working with large‑scale cassava processors, took up their case.
Dr. Odedina soon became a highly paid consultant, helping factories source raw material and boosting yields for farmers nationwide.
The ripple effect reached the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s CAVA project, where he served as International Productivity Adviser across Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Uganda.
“When I agreed to serve as Commissioner for Agriculture in Ogun State, I was already deep in that landscape—training fisheries officers, advising factories, and working with outgrowers,” he explains.
His career trajectory reads like a roadmap: extension agent in 1986, lecturer, consultant, commissioner, and always, a farmer. He introduced vitamin‑A cassava to Ogun State, launched fish‑cage culture projects, and kept a 30‑ton truck fleet moving cassava stems across Nigeria.
The “Proceeds from the Farm” Moment
One evening, while watching Nollywood, an actor boasted, “This is not a proceed from the farm, I worked for it!” The comment struck a chord.
“So you can’t buy a house in Lekki from proceeds from the farm?” I thought to myself.
Instead of buying property, the Odedinas bought a brand‑new Toyota Prado, cash‑down, and slapped a sticker on the windshield that read: “Proceed from the farm. Ready.” It was a quiet declaration that research, when commercialised, can fund the lifestyle many scientists only dream of.
“My advice to early‑ and mid‑career scientists is simple: find a way to be a beneficiary of your own research,” Dr. Odedina says. “There’s nothing wrong with contributing to knowledge and to your own pot of soup and bank account.”
Lessons from the Field
Turn research into practice*– The Odedinas didn’t just publish; they planted the ideas on their own soil.
Scale with purpose – From a 50‑hectare plot to a fleet of 30‑ton trucks, they let the market dictate the next step.
Leverage partnerships– USAID, Gates, CIAT—each opened doors that turned a farm experiment into a national program.
Accept setbacks as stepping stones – Eviction notices, skeptical audiences, and even a “no” from a conference hall became fuel for the next breakthrough.
Celebrate the proceeds – The Prado sticker wasn’t vanity; it was a billboard for possibility.
Dr. Adeola Odedina’s journey proves that the line between academia and agriculture can be a fertile one. By marrying rigorous science with entrepreneurial grit, he turned cassava yields that once seemed impossible into a thriving business—and a model for any scientist willing to ask, “What’s the next farm‑derived profit?”_
The story is not just about cassava; it’s about the harvest that follows when knowledge is cultivated, shared, and, most importantly, monetised.
Dr. Adeola Odedina is the Former Provost, Federal College of Agriculture Akure, and the Former Rector, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Abeokuta, and the Immediate Former Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture in Ogun State, Nigeria.
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