Sir Dr Olatunde Aiyedun lives on as we celebrate his first Posthumous birthday. The commissioning and dedication of THE AIYEDUN PLANT, a modern livestock feed-mill of a foremost operator in the Nigerian Livestock Industry, Animal Care Services Konsult, Ogere, Ogun State, was done on Tuesday 4th August, 2021 to mark the 71st and first posthumous birthday of the company’s founding father Sir Dr Olatunde Aiyedun Agbato.  The commissioning and dedication was done by the representative of the Governor of Ogun State, His Excellency Prince Dapo Abiodun, Mrs Kikelomo Longe, Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, in honour of Sir Agbato’s initiative and contribution in effecting the accomplishment of this milestone in global livestock industry.

With over 40 years of leadership ‘in the business poultry farming, commercial feed-milling, procurement/distribution of innovative veterinary medicament and vaccines, and technical and extension services,’ Sir Agbato slept in the Lord on January 7th, 2021 but his wife, best friend, and confidant, the children and Animal Care dedicated staffs are not relenting on the sterling legacies Sir Agbato left behind. The commissioning and dedication of The Aiyedun Plant is a testament of the spouse’s understanding of their entrepreneur lifestyle shaped by a good marriage foundation, love and trust. Often like any other entrepreneur, Sir Agbato took risks to take Animal Care Services to the next level, so having support from the spouse is crucial. Sir Agbato was blessed and fortunate to have a wife who supported and celebrated him.

It is a unique testimony that since incorporation of Animal Care Services Konsult 42 years ago, and before Sir Agbato’s last breath on January 7th, 2021, he has midwifed the company into a leading player in the Livestock industry providing comprehensive support services to Livestock and Aquaculture industries in Nigeria; through its Commercial Feed-milling operations, manufacturing and procurement of Veterinary remedies, Poultry housing equipment and Technical laboratory services. 

Sir Agbato with his amiable wife Dame Ayodeji Oluwafunmilayo Agbato nee Fasade, established O.A & O.A Associates which developed into Animal Care Services Konsult Nigeria Limited in 1979. Dame Agbato, the Methodist Lay President, Diocese of Lagos North, a graduate of Poultry Science from Harper Adam Agricultural College, (Now Harper Adams University) Newport, England, and also as a Poultry Technologist specialised in providing veterinary consultancy services to poultry farmers. To the glory of God, Sir Agbato, received beyond Dame Agbato’s veterinary consultancy services. Blessed together, still changing the world, the church, families and societies for the common good and for Kingdom purpose through their legacies.

The Aiyedun Plant is not just a testimony that Sir Agbato lives on. The Aiyedun Plan is an affirmation of the importance and blessing of a virtuous wife of Sir Agbato, Dame Ayodeji Oluwafunmilayo Agbato. Many outstanding godly women appear throughout the Bible, but the virtuous wife described in Prover 31 is exemplifies in Dame Agbato, a wife and mother. The commissioning and dedication of The Aiyedun Plant suggests what kind of wife Dame Agbato is and what kind of woman a man should choose to marry. Dame Agbato, a rare woman of strength comes alive as a paragon of virtue, trustworthy, industrious, organised, and loving. Amazingly, despite all the odds, shocks, and loneliness as a result of her husband’s transition early in the year, she is able to order the priorities of her world to honour, commission and dedicate for use the last major initiative of her husband.

Indeed, Sir Agbato totally trusted his wife of over 40 years. Her children and grandchildren praises her, and her home remains a model of spirituality and efficiency. The Aiyedun Plant is a testimony of a virtuous wife on the same page with her husband, poised to expand and increase her family’s business through wise investment and productive management of their joint legacy her husband left behind. The key to Dame Agbato’s as a virtuous wife behind the founding father of Animal Care and The Aiyedun Plant first, her fear and reverence for God hence, relationships and responsibilities are widely balanced. Dame Agbato exemplifies the truth spoken by Jesus Christ, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt 6:33). A close look at Dame Agbato can prove invaluable in helping every woman set her own priorities in managing home, time, resources and giftedness God has given.

Sir Agbato found a virtuous wife whose worth is far above rubies and his heart safely trusts her even in his death. Dame Agbato continue to do her husband good. Indeed, behind Sir Agbato’s legacies and exemplar services and leadership, there is a woman that God used and still using to glorify God in promoting and continuing her husband’s initiatives. Sir Agbato searched for a woman who brought him strength, obtained God’s favour and found a good woman in Matriarch Ayodeji Oluwafunmilayo Agbato. The words of John Mbiti about marriage in Africa aptly described the marital dynamics of Sir and Dame Agbato. Mbiti said, ‘For African people marriage is the focus of existence.” For Sir and Dame Agbato, for over 40 years, their Christian marriage as their focus of existence nurtured their entire lifestyle, business, spirituality and eternal focus. Particular stresses endemic to entrepreneurial businesses rather than adding great pressure to their marriage added prosperity and peaceful relationship. They did not neglect their marriage for business rather they used the joy of their marriage as the foundation and oil of their successful business adventure.

Matriarch Dame Ayodeji Oluwafunmilayo Agbato by the meaning of her name is indeed a gift of double joy from God to Sir Agbato. Matriarch Dame Agbato is a purveyors of wisdom who also reinforces and strengthens as a prayer warrior, and a mother in a million. She supported and gave her husband Sir Agbato wings to fly and prosper. She is the prayer power house that strengthened Sir Agbato. In the family’s trying time, Matriarch Dame Agbato’s prayerful character and covenant with God inspired her as a source of strength to the family and Animal Care Konsult. Dame Agbato is creative and embraces beauty and godliness, a virtuous wife and mother of worth and beauty.

Matriarch Dame Agbato, you are a wife of noble character, virtuous woman, excellent wife, capable wife, and truly capable woman, worthy wife, woman of worth, valiant woman, and virtuous and capable mother. More grace in Jesus name. Please, pray for the abiding grace of God upon the Agbato family and Animal Care Services Konsult.