WORLD FOOD DAY 2025: ABA NORTH CHAIRMAN HON. TIMOTHY KALU IHEKE REAFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR GOV. ALEX OTTI’S AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION

As the world unites to commemorate the 2025 World Food Day with the theme “Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future,” we in Aba North join the global community to reflect, renew, and rededicate our collective efforts toward ensuring food security, agricultural sustainability, and a prosperous future for all.

Under the visionary leadership of His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, Abia State is witnessing a transformative agricultural revolution that is not just about feeding the people, but empowering them, creating a sustainable ecosystem where agriculture becomes the foundation of prosperity, job creation, and community development.

Governor Otti’s administration has demonstrated unwavering commitment to repositioning agriculture as a central pillar of Abia’s economic growth. Through targeted empowerment programmes, mechanized farming support, agro-cooperative initiatives, and youth-focused agricultural training, the government is empowering a new generation of farmers and entrepreneurs who see agriculture not as a burden, but as a profitable and dignified enterprise.

In Aba North, we have keyed fully into this vision. Our administration has been actively collaborating with the state’s agricultural agencies and private sector partners to ensure that local farmers and food processors benefit directly from the government’s agricultural initiatives. Through farmer support schemes, the provision of improved seedlings, fertilizers, and modern farming tools, we are gradually building a local food system that is both inclusive and sustainable.

The message of this year’s World Food Day “Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future,” resonates deeply with our community-driven development philosophy. It calls for unity of purpose among government, farmers, traders, and consumers to strengthen our food value chain. It reminds us that achieving food security and a better future for our children requires collaboration, compassion, and a shared sense of responsibility.

Under Governor Otti’s leadership, Abia is reclaiming her place as a hub of agricultural innovation. Initiatives such as the Wet-Season Rice Farming via In-Growers Scheme, Abia Rice Intensive Cultivation and Expansion (ARICE), Youth Agricultural Support Programme, Training 300 Farmers at CSS Global Integrated Farms in Nasarawa state, Grants & Starter Packs for Farmers and many more are concrete evidence of a government that walks its talk. These programs not only boost food production but also provide meaningful employment for thousands of young people across the state.

As Executive Chairman of Aba North, I reaffirm my administration’s readiness to continue supporting all state-led agricultural initiatives. We are committed to working hand in hand with the Abia State Government, farmers’ associations, cooperative societies, and development partners to ensure that no family goes hungry and no hardworking farmer is left behind.

On this World Food Day, I call on all residents of Aba North to embrace urban and backyard farming, support local food producers, and promote responsible consumption habits. 

Together, let us transform Aba North into a model local government where food security, innovation, and sustainable living are not just aspirations but realities.

Indeed, as Governor Alex Otti continues to sow the seeds of progress across Abia State, we in Aba North are determined to nurture them, hand in hand until we reap a harvest of better food, better lives, and a better future for all.

Happy World Food Day 2025!

Signed:

Hon. Timothy Kalu Iheke

Executive Chairman, 

Aba North Local Government Area

October 16, 2025