Enugu State Governor Peter has flagged off South East Agro-Development Programme (SEADP), the biggest of its kind in the entire southeast region. It is a 200-hectare integrated farm project the State Government is doing in collaboration with South East Development Commission (SEDC).
The event, which was held at Nomeh Unateze in Nkanu East local government area of the state on Wednesday, was witnessed by number of stakeholders across the State including Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia. The Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, Chairman of SEDC, Dr. Emeka Wogu and the Managing Director/CEO of the Commission, Mr. Mark Okoye, also attended.
Governor Mbah who was represented by his deputy, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, described the project as “strategic”, adding that it was also timely.
It perfectly aligned with the governor’s decision to build 200-hecter farm estates across all the 260 wards in Enugu State, Barr. Osai continued.
“When we invest hugely in education, when we invest hugely in expanding our road infrastructure, when we invest in security, health, and transportation, it is to create access to enable investors and partners like the SEDC to have access to land, have access to development opportunities,” he said.
According to him, it’s been proven that a deliberate investment in agriculture is a sure way to fasten transition from poverty to a middle-class economy in anywhere in the world. Osai also told the people of Nomeh to owe the project, the very agricultural ecosystem that’s projected to provide 1,000 direct jobs.
The Managing Director/CEO of SEDC, Mr. Okoye, while commending Governor Peter Mbah for being proactive, said the project was designed to upset the obsolete ways southeast approach farming.
“The South East Agro-Development Programme is about building productive capacity of the region. We want to demonstrate what agriculture can look like when land, technology, mechanisation, production, processing, training and markets are brought together in one,” Mr Okoye said.
The Nomeh facility sharply differs from conventional agricultural projects. Instead of a single commodity, it’s an integrated production system with objectives of enhancing production as well as reducing waste.
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About 200-head dairy herd, poultry production of up to 20,000 birds per cycle, fisheries infrastructure, fodder cultivation, silage production, processing and demonstration facilities are parts of the initiative, with all the parts serving productive uses with the ecosystem.
South East Development Commission bill was initiated by Hon Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, in collaboration with other lawmakers from South East. It came into effect on July 24, 2024 when President Bola Tinubu signed the bill into law.