By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu
Food production and food security, veritable tools to eliminate hunger, received a big boost in Enugu State as over 60,000 farmers began benefiting from a fresh round of free fertilizer and agro-inputs distribution.
State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, weekend, flagged off the exercise.
The event, attended by thousands of farmers and stakeholders at Okpara Square, Enugu, the state capital, was described as another bold step towards food security, poverty eradication, rural prosperity, and the transformation of farming into a profitable venture in the state.
Governor Mbah, who recalled that his administration distributed 12,000 bags of fertilizer alongside power tillers, seedlings, cassava stems, and herbicides at no cost to farmers last year, said the 2024 intervention led to bumper harvests and reduced food prices across the state,with God’s help.
“Therefore, it gives me great joy to be here today to flag off the distribution of over 40,000 bags of free fertilizers and other agro inputs. Our farmers are the backbone of our communities – the hands that till the soil and bring food to our tables. Without you, there is no sustenance, no prosperity, and no growth,” he noted.
The governor announced that 200-hectare farm estates were being established in each of the 260 political wards in the state, replete with irrigation systems, warehouses, tractor sheds, and power supply.
He revealed that 102 tractors had already been delivered, another 98 on the way, while 800 more would soon be assembled at the tractor plant nearing completion in the state capital.
“Farming is big business. That is why we are upgrading the Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo, into a University of Agriculture to train the next generation of agricultural scientists, entrepreneurs, and innovators,” Mbah added.
He also reaffirmed ongoing efforts to establish Agro-Industrial Processing Zones and Agricultural Transformation Centres across the three senatorial zones.
The governor stressed that the free inputs would go directly to registered farmers in the state’s database without middlemen.
“There is no red tape. The only pre-condition is to be a registered farmer. Currently, we have over 60,000 farmers in our database,” he said.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialization, Hon. Patrick Uburu, praised the governor for inspiring what he called “an agricultural revolution in the state,” noting that long-abandoned assets such as Enugu United Palm Products, Adarice Irrigation Scheme, Ojor, Mgbagbu Owa irrigation projects, and Sunrise Flour Mill had been revitalised under the Mbah administration.
Uburu highlighted new initiatives by the administration, including the Enugu State Livestock Productivity Centre, a Cocoa Development Initiative targeting 3,000 hectares by 2027, greenhouse farming with 2,000 greenhouses by 2026, and export warehouses for cashew processing,as other major initiatives.
He further commended the governor’s approval of crop insurance premiums to protect farmers against climate shocks and pests.
“Today’s event signifies a new chapter; an affirmation that the Governor is fully committed to transforming our rural communities into vibrant centers of economic growth and prosperity. The sense of pride I derive as Commissioner is immeasurable. It is all thanks to His Excellency, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah – a man for whom there are no impossibilities,” Uburu said.
The Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Enugu chapter, Mr. Romanus Eze, also lauded the governor for fulfilling his promises to farmers, even as he recalled that Enugu once had fewer than five functional tractors, but now had over 200, with a tractor assembly plant already set up in the state.
“The governor has not only given us inputs, he has brought mechanisation to our doorsteps. He promised 1,000 tractors, and today we are seeing them. The Farm Estates that are coming up in every ward, the new seed laboratory, and the support from traditional rulers for land access are transforming agriculture into real business,” Eze said.
Similarly, the Chairman of Enugu North Local Government Area, Dr Ibenaku Onoh, described Mbah as “a governor who does the big things as well as the small things,” stressing that the distribution of inputs in every ward reflected inclusive governance.
“What you are doing is to move Enugu from a state of consumption to a state of production. In agriculture, transport, water, and other sectors, you are doing wonders. The people are happy, and we promise to continue protecting your mandate,” he said.
The ceremony ended with the symbolic distribution of fertilizers to farmer cooperatives from the 17 Local Government Areas, which stakeholders described as “a giant leap towards food security and sustainable rural development.”
*A cross section of tractors at the flag-off.
