On the dusty roads of Ondo State, old palm groves once crowned rolling hills. Shadows of oil palms stretched far, and the air smelled of rich red oil and promise. Among the few who remain is Pa Olumide Ojo, a farmer now mostly silent under those palms. His grove, once vibrant, stands half-abandoned, tractor tracks overgrown, presses unused. Yet, he remembers how his father’s harvests paid for school fees, church, and weddings. “I sold drums by the roadside,” he repeats. “Now I buy oil from Malaysia. It’s a dream turned inside out.”

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On the dusty roads of Ondo State, old palm groves once crowned rolling hills. Shadows of oil palms stretched far, and the air smelled of rich red oil and promise. Among the few who remain is Pa Olumide Ojo, a farmer now mostly silent under those palms. His grove, once vibrant, stands half-abandoned, tractor tracks overgrown, presses unused. Yet, he remembers how his father’s harvests paid for school fees, church, and weddings. “I sold drums by the roadside,” he repeats. “Now I buy oil from Malaysia. It’s a dream turned inside out.”

T