The Ondo State Sericulture Project, a once promising agro-industrial initiative established during the administration of late Governor Olusegun Agagu, is now grappling with severe infrastructural decay, raising concerns about neglect and lost economic potential.
A visit by PalacePulse News to the facility revealed a disturbing scene of abandoned buildings, deteriorating production units, and idle equipment.
The project, a sister agency under the Ondo State Agribusiness Empowerment Centre and directly linked to the Governor’s Office, was conceived as a multi-purpose production hub with the capacity to drive employment and boost internally generated revenue.
At inception, the Sericulture Project was designed with facilities capable of producing ceremonial wigs for lawyers across Nigeria, alongside tailoring, honey production, shoe making, Aso-Oke weaving, and poultry units.
However, years of neglect have left most of these units non-functional.
Several of the structures observed during the visit are in advanced stages of deterioration, with cracked walls, leaking roofs, and overgrown surroundings.
Production areas that once housed equipment for weaving and poultry farming now stand largely unused.
Sources within the agency disclosed that the facility has been without electricity for nearly a decade, further crippling operations and halting meaningful output.
Staff members, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the situation as discouraging, noting that the absence of power supply and maintenance funding has made it impossible to sustain production activities.
The Administrative Head of the agency, Mrs Megbontowon Funke, speaking during the inspection, appealed to the Ondo State Government to urgently intervene.
She acknowledged what she described as ongoing infrastructural upgrades across the state under the administration of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and expressed hope that the Sericulture Project would also receive attention.
“With the way the Aiyedatiwa-led government is upgrading decaying infrastructure across Ondo State, we believe the Sericulture Project should not be left behind,” she said.
“This facility has enormous potential to create jobs, empower youths and women, and generate revenue for the state if properly rehabilitated.”
She praised the governor for his developmental efforts so far and urged the state government to prioritise the rehabilitation of the project’s facilities, restoration of electricity, and provision of operational funding.
Stakeholders say reviving the Sericulture Project could help reposition Ondo State as a hub for agro-based industries and cottage manufacturing, particularly in areas such as textile production and poultry farming.
As the state continues its drive toward economic revitalisation, the fate of the Sericulture Project now rests on whether renewed government intervention will transform the decaying structures into a productive enterprise once again.
