Udi LG To Become Food Basket Of Africa As Council Chairman, Hon. Hyginus Agu Embraces Gov. Peter Mbah’s Holistic Approach To Agricultural Transformation Through Enugu Farm Estates In Udi Local Government
Udi LG To Become Food Basket Of Africa As Council Chairman, Hon. Hyginus Agu Embraces Gov. Peter Mbah’s Holistic Approach To Agricultural Transformation Through Enugu Farm Estates In Udi Local Government
The Udi Local Government Council Chairman, Hon. Hyginus Agu is positioning Udi to become the destination hub for large-scale commercial agriculture in Africa.
The council Boss has set to commence the Udi Local Government farm estate for each of the 20 political wards in the council as part of Governor Peter Mbah’s vision to transform Enugu state into World’s agricultural hub.
This is in accordance with Governor Mbah’s holistic approach to agricultural transformation. The program is not just about farming but about creating a structured and sustainable ecosystem, where agriculture drives economic prosperity.
The Enugu Farm Estates Programme is poised to impact the states socio-economic landscape by targeting food security, job creation, and rural economic development, which is being reciprocated in Udi Local Government Area through the council chairman’s proactive measures to make these initiatives a dream come through in the council.
According to Dr. Peter Mbah, “We envision an Enugu where agriculture is not just a subsistence activity but a wealth-generating industry, contributing significantly to our $30bn GDP target”.
The success of the Enugu Farm Estates hinges on empowering the local farmers who will drive agricultural productivity. Each estate will accommodate 200 farmers from local communities, each allocated 1 hectare of land. To ensure maximum productivity, farmers will receive training and extension services to enhance their knowledge of modern agronomy practices, access to quality input, such as improved seeds and fertilisers, mechanised support, including tractors and other farming equipment, and guaranteed market access through structured offtake arrangements.
In order to achieve these success, The Enugu Farm Estate Programme is collaborating with the state and local governments, demonstrating how strategic public-sector partnerships can drive rural development. The funding structure ensures effective resource mobilisation, with a 60 per cent contribution from the Enugu State Government and a 40 per cent contribution from local governments. This joint approach secures funding and ensures accountability and shared responsibility in executing the programme. Similar models in China and other western countries have shown that government-private partnerships in agriculture can lead to GDP growth of over eight percent annually. This collaborative nature of the initiative makes all stakeholders feel included in the process.
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According to the council chairman of Udi, Engr. Hyginus Agu, this initiative will curb insecurity by creating direct and indirect employment to youths thereby reducing crimes and social vices, tackle the rising issue of farmer-herder clash, among other valued benefits.
With this development, each ward will be able to provide food for itself and ensure food security, while the residents of various wards would be taught best agronomy practices and introduced to high yield seedlings and stem as well as land and space management. It will reduce the issue of continued farmer-herder crisis.
A research also recommends that “the best way to fight insecurity is to create jobs and ensure communities are economically viable”.
The farm estate model is built on three key pillars viz: sustainable agricultural practices that promote environmentally friendly farming techniques and ensure long-term productivity; economic empowerment that creates direct and indirect employment opportunities while increasing farmers’ incomes; and rural security and development that transforms uninhabited and underutilized hubs contributing to community stability.
With these guiding principles to harness Enugu’s vast agricultural potential and create an inclusive economy where smallholder farmers and large-scale investors can thrive.
Each farm estate is envisioned not just as a collection of farmlands but a well-planned agricultural community equipped with modern infrastructure, including central warehouses for produce aggregation and processing, tractor sheds to support seed farming, resting sheds to enhance farmers’ productivity and comfort, perimeter fencing for security and protection against encroachment, irrigation system to support year round farming , and well constructed access roads to facilitate easy transportation of goods. These features ensure that farming is not just a subsistence activity but a highly organized, profitable, and sustainable venture. Studies show that in regions where mechanized and structured farming is implemented, agricultural productivity increases by up to 300 percent.
With the ongoing support from the state government, Hon. Hyginus Agu is commencing the transformational journey of making Udi Local Government Area an agricultural power house, setting a precedent for other local government areas in Nigeria and Africa to follow.
This revolutionary program allocates 200 hectares of land to 200 farmers per ward, transforming Enugu State’s agricultural landscape and boosting economic growth.
Key Program Details
- 200 Hectares per Ward_: Each ward receives 200 hectares for agricultural purposes.
- 200 Farmers per Ward_: 200 farmers empowered in each ward, fostering economic growth and development.
- Tractors, farm inputs, extension services will be given to the farmers in the clusters.
Udi LG To Become Food Basket Of Africa As Council Chairman, Hon. Hyginus Agu Embraces Gov. Peter Mbah’s Holistic Approach To Agricultural Transformation Through Enugu Farm Estates In Udi Local Government.
