The Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, has expressed the confidence that farmers in the state can provide the food needs of the country. The governor said this recently while inaugurating the Isuikwuato Agriculture Revolution Program, ISAREP, and Flag off of the 2024 Isuikwuato Planting Season held at Isuikwuato LGA headquarters. However, he said for this to be achieved people of the state would need to embrace the new Abia agenda on agriculture towards achieving food sufficiency in the state. The governor told people at the event, “The government of Abia State strongly believes in the potential of our people; what we need to do is to unlock that potential. Abia State must feed itself and if it unlocks its full agricultural potential, I dare say, Abia State can feed Nigeria”.
He said the inauguration and flag-off of the 2024 Isuikwuato Planting Season is an excellent opportunity to further ramp up support for agriculture as a business.
The governor, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Agriculture, Cliff Agbaeze, said his administration is on a mission to transform the state and restore its pride among states in the country.
He added that he has taken giant strides in virtually all sectors to demonstrate his determination to build a new Abia and emphasised that agriculture is a major focus in his transformation agenda.
He commended the leadership of Isuikwuato Consultative Forum, ICF, for the noble ideas that birthed the programme and used the opportunity to appreciate the leader of Isuikwuato Consultative Forum, Chief Ray Nkemdirim and his team and also assured them of his full support in their efforts to diversify the economy of their LGA through greater investment in agriculture.
Governor Otti said, “I urge you to keep it up as I also urge other communities and LGAs to emulate this noble gesture. Coming at this period of national food crisis and emergency, the timing of this program couldn’t have been more auspicious and perhaps, even audacious! I also believe that this inauguration and flag-off will bring about a huge transformation in the way agricultural business is done in Isuikwuato in particular, in Abia State in general and Nigeria at large.
