FG, Enugu align on agro-industrialisation, market access to boost food security

The Federal Government and Enugu State Government have reaffirmed their commitment to transforming agriculture into a commercially driven, agro-industrialised sector capable of boosting food security, creating jobs and stimulating economic growth.

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The two governments restated their shared policy objective on Thursday at the 48th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Food Security, hosted by the Enugu State Government, with Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State and the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, highlighting ongoing interventions to strengthen agricultural value chains, improve productivity and expand market access.

The meeting, held at Hotel Presidential, Enugu, and themed, “Enhancing Agricultural Value Chains, Agro-Industrialization and Market Access for Economic Growth,” brought together Commissioners and delegates from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, development partners and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector.

Addressing the delegates, Governor Mbah said the transformation of agriculture required more than increased food production, stressing the need to connect farmers to mechanisation, processing facilities, industries and viable domestic and international markets.

He said his administration’s ambition to grow Enugu’s economy from approximately $4.4 billion to $30 billion by 2031 informed its decision to position agriculture as a major driver of economic growth.

“We want Enugu to become a place where agriculture supports industry, industry creates opportunities for farmers and entrepreneurs, and our products compete successfully in domestic and international markets,” he noted.

The governor disclosed that more than 60,000 farmers had benefited from agricultural support programmes, while 84,000 farmers had been captured in a digital registry to improve the distribution of interventions.

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Mbah equally said his administration was addressing the problem of scale through the 260 Farm Estates Programme.

“We are working to establish organised agricultural production hubs across all 260 wards of Enugu State, creating opportunities for farmers, cooperatives, agribusinesses and young entrepreneurs to participate in larger, more productive agricultural enterprises.

“To support this, we have developed an Agricultural Land Bank, securing approximately 187,000 hectares through strategic partnerships with communities,” he stated.

The governor also highlighted the assembly of 107 tractors through a partnership with Nortra Tractors to ensure the availability of machines to scale up production.

On agro-industrialisation, Mbah cited the expansion of the hitherto moribund Enugu United Palm Products Limited plantation to 6,917 hectares, thus creating more than 3,500 jobs in the process.

Mbah also highlighted the revival of Enugu Songhai Farms in partnership with Tribu Limited as a 10,000-hectare agro-industrial hub, and the reactivation of Sunrise Flour Mills.

He also cited the Integrated Livestock Development Centre at Ubahu, designed to accommodate between 15,000 and 20,000 cattle, as part of efforts to strengthen the state’s agricultural value chain.

“These investments are connected by a common purpose: we want more of the value generated by our agricultural resources to remain within our economy,” he stated.

The governor called for stronger collaboration among federal and state governments, development partners and the private investor, noting that agricultural transformation depended on coordinated investments in production, processing, infrastructure and market access.

“Enugu is open for agribusiness. We have fertile land, a strategic location connecting the South East with other parts of Nigeria, a young and enterprising population, and a government committed to supporting productive investment.

“We welcome partnerships with other states, federal institutions, development agencies and private enterprises that share our ambition,” he concluded.

In his remarks, Kyari said the Federal Government was implementing various interventions to improve agricultural productivity, protect farmers’ incomes and strengthen food security.

He disclosed that the National Agricultural Development Fund’s Farm Input Support Programme had reached more than 115,000 beneficiaries across 25 states and the FCT, while the fund had disbursed ₦16.27 billion through agribusiness financing facilities.

The minister added that the Bank of Agriculture had financed more than 500,000 smallholder farmers, while the second phase of the Renewed Hope National Agricultural Mechanisation Programme was expected to deliver an additional 1,500 tractors and more than 8,000 complementary pieces of equipment.

He stressed the importance of strengthening commodity supply chains to ensure that agricultural production translated into dependable raw materials for industries and affordable food for consumers.

Kyari said Nigeria’s economy grew by 4.43 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, with agriculture recording 4.39 per cent growth and contributing 26.15 per cent of real Gross Domestic Product.

In his remarks, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, thanked Governor Mbah for successfully hosting the programme, saying the 48th Regular Meeting on Agriculture and Food Security would shed light on both Enugu State’s agro-industrialisation policies and initiatives and the Federal Government’s milestones in the agricultural sector.

“The reforms and agricultural transformation of the state and federal governments are enough to commend both Governor Mbah and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in office,” he stated.

Earlier, the Enugu State Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Dr. Patrick Ubru, said the state was repositioning its agricultural sector from subsistence production towards a commercially driven and agro-industrialised economy.

He disclosed that agriculture and agro-industrialisation were expected to contribute $12 billion to the state’s $30 billion economic target by 2031, pledging the state government’s support for federal agricultural interventions through the provision of warehouses for storing and distributing farm inputs, as well as facilities for agricultural programmes and capacity-building activities.

In his vote of thanks, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, urged stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of the resolutions reached at the meeting, stressing that stronger collaboration remained essential to building a productive and competitive agricultural sector.

The programme was also attended by the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Ben Nwoye; Chairman of APC in Enugu State, Dr Martin Chukwunwike; Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon Uche Ugwu; Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof Chidiebere Onyia; Head of Service, Dr Godwin Anigbo; among others.

Side attractions at the event included exhibitions of food products and agricultural equipment, which were also toured by Governor Mbah and other dignitaries.

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