The Enugu State Government has reiterated its commitment to making agriculture a major driver of economic growth, with plans for the sector to contribute about $12 billion towards the state’s target of building a $30 billion economy through agro-industrialisation, commercial farming and value addition.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Hon. Patrick Nwabueze Ubru, disclosed it on ‘Political Conversations’ a programme on Freedom square Tv, hosted by Uchenna Cyril Anioke, where he outlined the government’s strategy to transform agriculture from subsistence farming into a modern, industrial sector capable of attracting investment, creating jobs and boosting exports.
According to the commissioner, agriculture is expected to account for 40 percent of the state’s projected $30 billion economy, with the government prioritising value chains such as oil palm, cassava, rice and cashew.
“The agricultural sector will be responsible for 40 percent of this target of taking Enugu’s economy to 30 billion dollars. So we’re talking about 12 billion dollars,” he said.
Ubru explained that the administration of Governor Peter Mbah renamed the ministry from the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources to the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation to reflect its new focus on processing agricultural produce into higher-value products rather than exporting raw commodities.
He said the government’s strategy is centred on developing the entire agricultural value chain, noting that processing crops such as cassava into products including starch and bioethanol would significantly increase economic returns while attracting private investment into the state.
According to him, Enugu has already begun recording progress in oil palm production through the rehabilitation of the Enugu State United Palm Products Limited under a public-private partnership arrangement, with locally produced vegetable oil now available in supermarkets across the state.
The commissioner also highlighted improvements in rice production, stating that average yields had increased from about 1.8 metric tonnes per hectare before the current administration to over 5 metric tonnes per hectare, attributing the improvement to government interventions and improved farming practices.
He said the state was also encouraging investments in cassava processing, citing the establishment of a solar-powered cassava processing facility by young entrepreneurs and the expansion of large-scale cassava cultivation under private-sector partnerships.
Ubru stressed that the government’s long-term objective is to position Enugu as both a major producer of agricultural commodities and a hub for agro-industrial processing.
“Enugu will be a production centre for agricultural commodities and also a hub for industrialisation because industries naturally locate close to where raw materials are produced,” he said.
He added that the administration was pursuing policies aimed at increasing local production, promoting export-oriented agriculture and attracting investors through improved infrastructure, land accessibility and mechanised farming initiatives.