ABIA STATE GOVT FLAGS OFF JOINT AGRICULTURAL INTERVENTION PROJECT, INAUGURATES 17 LGA FARM MANAGERS TO DRIVE STATEWIDE FOOD SECURITY REVOLUTION

…As Aba North Executive Chairman, Hon. Timothy Kalu Iheke, and Other LGA Chairmen Join in the Landmark Initiative

In a bold and strategic step aimed at transforming agricultural production across the state, the Executive Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, has officially flagged off the Joint Agricultural Intervention Project and inaugurated 17 farm managers—one representing each Local Government Area. The ceremony, held at the JAAC Secretariat in Umuahia, marks a significant turning point in Abia’s march toward an agric-driven economic revival.

Performing the inauguration on behalf of the Governor, the honourable Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu, declared that the state has “stepped into a new era in agricultural intervention,” positioning Abia as a model for sustainable food production within the Southeast.

Governor Otti, through the Commissioner, charged the newly inaugurated farm managers to approach their responsibilities with diligence, determination, and focus, stressing that the future of food security in Abia now rests heavily on their shoulders.

According to him, “Our charge to the farm managers that have been inaugurated today is that we are stepping into a new era in agricultural intervention in the Southeast, starting from Abia state, and that a lot of responsibility as we speak rests on their shoulders to drive the entire project to great heights of success.”

He added that the initiative would become “a major turning point in agricultural revolution in this state, one impacting on food security and then improving the economy of our state and our people.

“So my charge to them is to be committed, be focused and resilient.”

Governor Otti recalled that the journey toward this inauguration began three months ago after approval was granted to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to establish a 12-man Joint Agricultural Intervention Committee to actualize the administration’s agricultural vision.

Expressing satisfaction with the progress made, the Governor noted:

“Today, we are happy that we are here to dedicate and set forth to the field, the farm managers who will be our food soldiers, the anchor people across the local governments concerning the various interventions in agric in those local governments.”

He emphasized that the programme is a partnership model: “This is purely a project driven by the local government but collaborating with the state government to make it work because we are all Abians.”

The Governor also outlined the specific agricultural focus areas selected by each LGA, which range from piggery with feed mill and maggot farming to ginger production, cassava processing plants, poultry farms, pepper cultivation, and pepper processing plants, among others. He urged all trainees across the LGAs to take their training seriously under the supervision of the farm managers.

Speaking on behalf of the Local Government Chairmen, the representative of the ALGON Chairman and Chairman of Bende LGA, Deacon Uwabunkeonye Bassey, expressed gratitude to Governor Otti and the Ministry for the initiative. He further charged the farm managers to ensure that the Governor’s vision for agricultural transformation “does not die.”

One of the programme consultants and Managing Director of Fortune Well Farm, Hon. Dannie Ubani, explained that the initiative is designed to achieve long-term, sustainable food security. He revealed that the newly established farms across the state will serve as incubation centres for training young farmers, producing highly skilled and capable agricultural professionals.

Responding on behalf of the newly inaugurated farm managers, Dr. Mrs. Glory Nwaogbe pledged their collective commitment to delivering on the mandate. She reassured the government and people of Abia that they would not disappoint, while expressing gratitude to Governor Otti for granting them the opportunity to contribute to the state’s food security agenda.

The event attracted a wide array of dignitaries, including the Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, Permanent Secretary of the Commission, Executive Chairmen of LGAs, Deputy Chairmen of LGAs, trainees, and other stakeholders among them the Executive Chairman of Aba North, Hon. Timothy Kalu Iheke, who joined other council chairmen to witness and support the historic launch.

The inauguration stands as a monumental stride in Abia’s determination to build a resilient agricultural system capable of feeding its population, empowering its youth, and strengthening its economy for years to come.