ENUGU GOVERNOR, PETER MBAH, ASSURES FARMERS OF CONTINUED SUPPORT
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah has identified agriculture as a veritable sector for economic development, food security as well as poverty eradication, and expressed commitment to supporting rural farmers with agro inputs and machinery to scale-up their production.
Mbah gave the assurance on Thursday when he flagged off the distribution of free Fertilizer, Power Tillers, Agro inputs to registered farmers and other social interventions to the rural communities held at Okpare Square Enugu.
While performing the symbolic function, Gov Mbah said it was imperative to nurture small scale entrepreneurs for sustainable growth through the provision of the key enablers since they remain the lifeblood of economic development.
He said the administration would be carrying out an extensive revamp of a number of rural roads to ensure that the farming clusters springing up across the rural belt of the state do not exist as isolated units.
While assuring that the Agro inputs will be distributed directly to the identified farmers in the state, the governor noted that the target is to make Enugu a food production state for both local consumption and exports and be able to diversify the state economy through the sector.
Earlier in his address, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Patrick Ugwu enjoined the farmers and other beneficiaries to reciprocate government’s massive support through prudent application of the inputs and grants to create jobs, trigger revolution in the agricultural industry, and boost the state’s economy.
Also, the Acting General Manager, Enugu State Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA), Mrs Ugochukwu Ugwunnadi and the acting state project coordinator, FADAMA, Mr Geoffrey Eze said the agencies are the implementation platforms for Nigeria’s COVID-19 Action Recovery Stimulus Program, also known as EN-NG CARES.
They said the agencies are responsible for the provision of machinery and other farming inputs as well as to carry out developmental projects in various communities.