The South-East Development Commission (SEDC), in partnership with the Enugu State Government, has flagged off its South-East Agro Development Programme, SEADP, with a 200 hectare integrated agricultural development project at Nomeh Unateze in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The project marks the first of the commission’s planned agro-development interventions across the 15 senatorial zones of the South-East, with a focus on transforming agriculture and strengthening the rural economy.
The initiative is designed to promote agricultural mechanisation, investment, processing, logistics, market access and export oriented value chains, while supporting food production, job creation and agricultural skills development.
Representing Governor Peter Mbah at the flag-off ceremony, Deputy Governor Ifeanyi Ossai said the project demonstrated the potential of collaboration between state governments and the SEDC in driving agricultural and economic development.
Ossai said investment in agriculture could contribute to food security while also addressing poverty, unemployment and insecurity and expanding economic opportunities for residents.
He noted that the Enugu State Government was working to provide infrastructure and security conditions capable of attracting investment into the agricultural sector.
The Deputy Governor urged the SEDC to develop a framework that would enable the Nomeh project to extend its benefits beyond the immediate host community through partnerships with private-sector operators and farmers across Enugu East Senatorial District.
He said such an approach would allow farmers from neighbouring communities to participate in production, processing, logistics and transportation, thereby widening the economic impact of the project.
Ossai also called for measures to ensure the sustainability of the programme beyond the tenure of the current leadership of the commission.
The Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, commended the SEDC and Enugu State Government for the initiative, describing the project as consistent with the Federal Government’s emphasis on food security and agricultural development.
Momoh praised Governor Mbah for providing the land for the project and described the 200-hectare allocation as a significant contribution to agricultural and rural economic development.
He said the integration of agricultural production and processing could strengthen commodity value chains and create opportunities for farmers and communities across the region.
The minister also urged residents of the host community and other stakeholders to support the initiative, expressing the hope that its benefits would extend beyond Nomeh to other parts of the South-East and Nigeria.
Earlier, the SEDC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mark Okoye, described the flag-off as a transition from planning and consultations to the implementation of visible development projects.
Okoye said the Nomeh facility would combine agricultural production, mechanisation, processing and practical training.
He added that an out-grower programme would enable farmers from surrounding communities to participate in the agricultural value chain and benefit from the project.
The SEDC said the Nomeh pilot project is expected to serve as a model for similar agro-development interventions across the South-East.
By Enitan Mudashiru | MUK TV News
