Life Experiences Pushed Young Man Into Wealth Through Agriculture

Source: Daily Trust

Deep in the lush forest of Edor, Ikom Local Government Area of Cross River State lie four expansive cocoa and plantain farms. Visitors would need more than a day to traverse the entire expanse of these fields.

One of the farms has over 72,000 cocoa trees and over 50,000 plantain stands, with harvest taking place almost weekly.

The young man behind these farms is Mr. Felix PaulMary Ekol, inspired by life’s challenges to tap the wealth in agriculture.

Armed with a master’s degree in Accounting, Ekol set up the farms himself—planting cocoa trees, plantain suckers, and sleeping in the open field to build his vision.

Today, he is popularly called the “Minister of Agriculture (Local)” in his community due to his outstanding contributions to farming.

Growing up in a farming community shaped his passion, but financial struggles during university pushed him fully into agriculture. He started educating students and developed a strong interest that lasted over 15 years.

Ekol now produces about 1,000 tonnes of cocoa per harvest and multiple tons of plantains and other crops.

He recounts how hardship, lack of job opportunities, and frustration after NYSC forced him into full-time farming, working late into the night with his late younger brother.

Although he studied accounting, his knowledge helped him develop a unique concept: Biological Assets Farming.

His approach includes planting short-term crops to finance long-term economic trees. Plantain acts as a canopy to reduce weeds and supports cocoa and palm trees as they grow.

Mr. Ekol also founded the Tymdua Foundation, empowering and training young farmers with cocoa seeds, plantain suckers, and agricultural support.

Through TymdauR Global Limited, he is expanding production of cocoa, plantain, ogbono, oil palm, pear, tubers, and more across different communities.

However, poor road access remains a major challenge, especially durin