Abia State Governor, Alex Otti. Photo: File
State Governor, Alex Otti, has announced plans to harness the state’s agricultural potential to drive industrialisation, achieve self-sufficiency in food production and position Abia as a net exporter of agricultural produce.
Otti also urged Presco Plc, a Nigerian agro-industrial company specialising in oil palm cultivation, extraction, refining and fractionation, to begin its proposed investment in the state at the government-owned Ulonna Farm Settlement in Umuahia.
The governor announced the constitution of a steering committee, which he will head, comprising representatives of the state government, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, PAYAZA Africa Limited and other relevant stakeholders to develop a framework for harnessing Abia’s comparative advantages in agriculture.
Otti spoke on Thursday at the third edition of the Michael Okpara Memorial Lecture Series held at MOUAU, Umudike. He stressed the need to combine the agricultural vision of the late Dr Michael Iheonukara Okpara, former Premier of the defunct Eastern Region, with modern technology to transform agriculture into a major driver of economic growth.
According to the governor, the committee will identify agricultural commodities in which Abia has a comparative advantage and recommend the investments, infrastructure and technological innovations needed to develop them into commercially viable enterprises.
“I want us to start with Ulonna farm settlements. We may not go back to what Michael Okpara did in his days. We want to take it to this level now, where we introduce technology, and we don’t only want to be self-sufficient in food production; we want to be a net exporter of food from Abia State,” Otti said.
He also welcomed a proposal to establish an Agricultural Technology Hub at MOUAU.
In his remarks, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the University Council, Fidelis Edeh, said he had remained in the political party that brought him to power and demonstrated that good governance was possible.
The Vice-Chancellor of MOUAU, Prof Ursula Ngozi Akanwa, said Okpara’s vision showed how agriculture could drive economic prosperity, industrial growth, employment generation and social advancement through strategic investments in research, education, rural development and infrastructure.
The Chairman of the occasion, Prince Arthur Eze, who was represented by Prince Emeka Eze, described Otti as an icon and a banner carrier of modern Igbo people.
“He is the only leader resembling the man we are celebrating today,” he said.
Delivering the memorial lecture, Seyi Ebenezer urged Nigerians, particularly young people, to embrace technology, digital innovation and modern business models in agriculture rather than view farming solely through the traditional practice of cultivating land.
Meanwhile, Otti has urged Presco Plc to begin its operations at Ulonna Farm Settlement, where the state government has about 4,200 hectares of land, while efforts continue to secure additional land for the proposed investment.
The governor made the proposal on Thursday when he received a delegation of the company, led by its Chairman, Rasheed Sarumi, at Government House, Umuahia.
“We have Ulonna Farm Settlement that belongs to the government. We have about 4,200 hectares at Ulonna. So, if you are looking for 10,000 hectares and you already have 4,200, what you are looking for is just slightly less than 6,000 hectares,” Otti said.
He acknowledged concerns and disputes surrounding some of the proposed community lands and urged the company to engage the leadership of the affected communities to resolve them.
“Let’s go through the leadership of those communities. People are not sure that their lands are not going to be grabbed. But they also know that this government does not grab land,” the governor said.
Otti assured the company that his administration would facilitate access to the additional land required for the project, noting that the process would take time but that the government was committed to delivering on its promise.
Earlier, Sarumi expressed confidence that Presco would establish a successful operation in Abia, saying the state had a government that understood business.
“The promise I made when we came was that this investment would be made because we have a government that understands business,” he said.