The Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti has reaffirmed his commitment to largely invest in agriculture in the state.
Addressing participants at World Food Day celebration, 2025, held at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia, Otti reiterated the government's vision to expand the agricultural sector for job creation and food security for the people.
The World Food Day is a yearly celebration held on October 16, with the 2025 event titled: "Hand in Hand for Better Foods and Better Future."
Representing the Governor Otti, Secretary to the State Government, Prof Kenneth Kalu, said the government had abandoned the subsistence farming for mechanised method to encourage food abundance, building road networks to enhance "production, processing, marketing and export", advising farmers to make "honest effort to play by the rules" to avoid adulteration.
Noting the importance attached to agriculture, the he said,
"The government is intentional about the development in the agricultural sector. The sector almost contributes 30% of the GDP of the state. The government will continue to be impressed to expand the sector".
The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Cliff Agbaeze, in his keynote, commended the effort of Abia Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises, Niger Delta, LIFE-ND, in training, mentoring and empowering thousands of youths in various agro enterprises in the state.
"Through the IFAD-LIFE-ND Project, we've made and empowered thousands of incubatees along the agro enterprise value chains of rice, cassava, poultry and oil palm, especially youths and women", he said.
Hinting the determination of the state to make Abia an effective agric hub and a benchmark for higher output and innovation, Agbaeze revealed the introduction of Abia State Agric Dynamic Database System, (Abia ADDS), an innovation to record and track the activities of farmers, no matter how remote.
Addressing journalists, the LIFE-ND State Project Coordinator, Uchenna Rowland Onyeizu, Ph.D, CEnv, said the yearly celebration is a reminder by United Nations, UN, to ensure the security of food for individuals World over.
On LIFE-ND, Onyeizu noted the impact of the project in training and empowering 4,250 youths and women in chosen agro enterprises of rice, poultry, oil palm and cassava, including their value chains, across selected 100 communities in the state.
Drawing experience from the first phase of the project, he said IFAD Additional Financing would empower more 3000 beneficiaries, and in essence, adding clout to the government's policy on food security and job creation in Abia State
Explaining the importance of biogas technology - an innovation to convert organic waste to manthane gas and power energy to address climate issues, Onyeizu said he would, through Commissioner for Agriculture, reach the government for visibility.
Abia LIFE-ND Project participatants displayed commodities ranging from Poultry, rice, garri, oil palm, vegetables and Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, including its value chain of juice and cake.
The celebration featured lectures, exhibitions, awards and cultural entertainments.
