AFS FORUM 2024: GOV UMO ENO’S PARTICIPATION AND THE AGRIC INVESTMENT PROSPECTS FOR AKWA IBOM STATE
By Ubon Marcus
Africa Food Systems Forum (AGRF), a premier forum for African agriculture and food systems, is holding its 2024 summit in Kigali, Rwanda.
The summit, which brings relevant stakeholders together to take practical actions and share lessons that will move African food systems forward, has in attendance the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno.
He is in Rwanda because #AFSForum2024 offers a timely opportunity for diverse stakeholders, world leaders, investors, academia, farmers’ organisations, and the private sector, to converge and spotlight innovations, technologies, best practices, business models, policy delivery mechanisms, and investments to accelerate food systems transformation in Africa and beyond, with youths and women at the helm.
The summit, which is also being attended by investors, food systems experts, and deal owners, provides a leeway for heads of governments across Africa to foster projects, deals, and products while catalyzing private sector investments and partnerships within the agricultural sector, and this exactly is what our State Chief Executive is targeting.
Gov. Umo Eno’s participation in this year’s edition of the Africa Food System Summit offers our state the much-needed opportunity to explore opportunities for agricultural investments in consonance with the economic roadmap of his administration, known as the ARISE Agenda, which has agriculture as one of its major focal points.
The reactivation of Dakkada Global Oil Palm Industry (formerly known as Akwa Palms Estate), construction of Ibom Model Farm: a Pilot Songhai model integrated farm scheme, and cocoa development project aimed at maintenance of nurseries and assisting farmers with inputs are some of the agricultural investments put in place by the Umo Eno administration, and this Kigali trip offers a great opportunity to fetch investors for them.
While there, the State Chief Executive will also woo investors for other agric investments, such as the coconut refinery in Mkpat Enin and the proposed Model Palm Oil Mill in Ibekwe, also in Mkpat Enin LGA of the state.
Leading a powerful delegation comprising of the Secretary to State Government, Prince Enobong Uwah, Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Offiong Offor, Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Sir Charles Udoh, Commissioner for Economic Development, Mr. Emem Bob, and the Managing Director of Akwa Ibom Investment Corporation, AKICORP, Pastor Imoabasi Jacob, Gov. Umo Eno hopes to explore every possible agricultural investment prospect that #AFSForum2024 offers and convert them into economic benefits for Akwa Ibom state, hence the importance of this trip.
He believes that through improved agricultural practices, food security can be guaranteed and, guided by this ideology, is pursuing agricultural investments for the benefit of our people.
I wish our Governor and his team fruitful deliberations in Kigali.
Meanwhile, in addition to the ones mentioned in the foregoing, here are agricultural milestones accomplished by the Umo Eno administration so far:
♦️ Provision of operational funds for the coconut refinery.
♦️Distribution of agricultural inputs and assets to farmers in the state via AK Cares phase 2.
♦️Distribution of solar water pumps to farmers in the state for dry season farming, in collaboration with rural electrification agency.
♦️Distribution of day old chicks and feed to poultry farmers in the state. ♦️Distribution of fingerlings and other inputs to fish farmers.
♦️Distribution of farm inputs to public schools.
♦️Presentation of cheques to the Project Affected Persons (PAPs) along Owot Uta Ekere, Afaha Udo Eyop and Ikot Edebom Road project through AKSG through Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).
#AriseAgenda
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