FG lauds SEDC’s 200-hectare agro-mechanised project in Enugu
The Federal Government has commended the South East Development Commission (SEDC) for launching a 200-hectare agro-mechanised project aimed at boosting food production and promoting food security in the zone.
The Minister of Regional Development, Mr Abubakar Momoh, made the commendation, on Wednesday, during the launch of SEDC’s Pilot Agricultural Land Development Programme at Nomeh Unateze in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Momoh said the project was in line with the Federal Government’s policies and the Presidential Priorities, particularly the priority on food security.
He said the project represented a transition from policy formulation to implementation, adding that the commission had demonstrated its capacity to execute development programmes in the region.
The minister hailed the leadership of SEDC for its consultation with relevant stakeholders and initiating a project that would not only develop agricultural land but also promote processing and value addition.
He said the project had the potential to revive the region’s agricultural commodity value chain, particularly in areas, such as oil palm production, for which the South-East was historically known.
He also commended the Enugu State Government for providing land for the project and the people of Nomeh for their cooperation with the commission.
He said the cooperation among the five South-East states was important to the success of the commission’s regional development mandate.
Earlier, Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State, represented by his Deputy, Mr Ifeanyi Ossai, commended the people of Nomeh for their cooperation with SEDC, urging other communities where SEDC had projects to execute to emulate the Nomeh’s cooperation.
Mbah said food security goes beyond providing food, adding that investment in agriculture could contribute to poverty reduction, employment creation and the growth of the middle class.
According to him, the State Government’s investments in education, road infrastructure, healthcare and security are aimed at creating an enabling environment for agricultural and other businesses to thrive.
He urged SEDC to develop a framework that would ensure the sustainability of the project beyond the tenure of its current leadership.
Mbah also suggested the establishment of an outgrower programme through which farmers across the Enugu East Senatorial District could participate in the agricultural value chain.
He said such a system could enable farmers in distant communities to cultivate crops, supply produce to the facility and benefit from processing and market opportunities.
He promised that the State Government would support the protection of investments made by SEDC and urged host communities and local authorities to safeguard the project.
In a remark, the Managing Director of SEDC, Mr Mark Okoye, said the launch marked the beginning of the commission’s practical intervention in agricultural development in the zone.
Okoye said the commission had spent time consulting stakeholders, studying challenges and developing partnerships before commencing the project.
He said the approximately 200-hectare facility would be an integrated agricultural development centre, comprising dairy, poultry, fishery, fodder production, greenhouses, processing, mechanisation and practical agricultural training.
“The idea is simple: production should connect to processing, farmers should connect to markets and training should connect employment to enterprise,” he said.
He said the project would also operate an outgrower programme to enable farmers in surrounding communities to receive technical support and participate in the agricultural value chain.
He said the impact of the project would be measured by the hectares developed, food produced, farmers supported, young people trained and businesses created around the facility.
According to him, the project is expected to serve as a starting point for similar agricultural interventions across the five South-East states.
He said that SEDC would work with state governments, communities, farmers, development institutions and the private sector to promote modern and commercially viable agriculture in the region.
The Chairman, Nomeh Unateze Town Union Caretaker Committee, Dr Chukwudi Anyianuka, expressed delight over the commencement of the agricultural mechanisation project in the community.
Anyianuka said the community was excited about the project and expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for setting up SEDC.
He also thanked the Enugu State Government for selecting Nomeh as the location for the pilot project.
He said the project would help restore the community’s former economic prominence, pointing out that Nomeh and Unateze were once hubs of economic activities, with several multinational companies operating in the area.