Babafemi Ojudu
I was thrilled to host Dr. Babajide Agboola for a two-day visit at The Farm last week. Babajide, a vet, birdwatcher, and conservationist, possesses an extraordinary understanding of the environment and nature. His company is like being with a living nature encyclopedia, making him the perfect person to handle the Ekiti Biodiversity Project.
His knowledge extends beyond nature and includes expertise in various other subjects. He embodies true education, a refined specimen of humanity. His adeptness at naming and detailing the uses of virtually all plants is impressive.
On top of that, at the sound of a bird’s chirp, he can easily identify its name and peculiarities. Within a mere hour of arriving at the farm, he had cataloged 13 different birds along with their information. He’s brimming with ideas on how a pristine environment can lead to a richer and more rewarding life, and he’s incredibly practical about it.
As soon as I was introduced to Babajide by another gentleman, Mr Babajide Fajuyi, the tourism entrepreneur and influencer and grandson of the late Col Adekunle Fajuyi , we immediately arranged a visit Mr Olatunde Olatilu a man who quietly but determinedly tends to hectares of plantations, regenerating trees that are going extinct and cultivating others which I, as a layman, never knew could be grown. At the GADEF Tree Nursery, I was amazed by the variety of trees and plants, native and non-native to Nigeria. Witnessing the nursery sparked new hope in me that we may be able to preserve these beneficial plants for future generations, such as the locust bean trees.
Babajide’s visit was a truly transcendent two-day experience for me, and I cannot thank him enough for his conservation work across our beautiful state. His presence was incredibly beneficial and impactful. His intellectual energy is deeply inspiring, and I would love to have the opportunity to exchange ideas with him regularly.
The value he brought to my immediate environment with the plants he introduced is immeasurable, and thanks to his birdwatching activities, I now know the names and characteristics of all the birds on The Farm. We even harvested maize, boiled it with the cob and leaves, and ate it in the traditional way, just like our grandparents used to. This maize, not the GMO variety, is the white-colored maize of our youth, which is sweeter and more nutritious but is being driven to extinction by the dominance of the yellowish variety in recent years.
We also enjoyed unripe plantain Amala, made and packaged on the farm, with fresh rorowo vegetable, garnished with iru, and the fishes harvested and dried on the farm. What a splendid time we had. Please come back soon, Babajide.