Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Royal Ambassadors Family Enlightenment Foundation (RAFEF) has acquired 5,000 plots of land for massive agriculture and built 10,000-bird capacity poultry farm to boost agro-industrisation and food security in Enugu State.
The Director-General of RAFEF, an NGO, Amb. David Jonathan, disclosed this when he led the Foundation’s executive members on an official courtesy visit to the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Dr Patrick Ubru, in Enugu.
Jonathan said that the Foundation was willing and ready practically to engage and explore potential areas of partnership, sponsorship and collaborations with the Enugu State Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation.
“Before now, RAFEF Foundation has acquired 5,000 plots of land for our sustainable Agricultural Farming Project and Food Security initiative in Nsukka, Ugwgoo-Nike and Akpogazi axis of the state under our Operation Feed Enugu State Initiative.
“The Foundation has built a poultry farm with a building structure in Ugwogo, capable of housing 10,000 birds.
“The Foundation had a registered cooperative society with over 10,000 members across the 17 local government areas of the state.
“The Foundation recently empowered persons with disabilities by registering businesses and providing startup funds throughout its chapters in the 36 states and the FCT,” he said.
According to him, with a combined membership strength of over 20,000 people in Enugu State, they are eager to partner with the state government to support Gov. Peter Mbah’s policies for the well-being of the citizens.
The director-general, however, requested the ministry’s support in the area of “land development and agricultural infrastructure; renovation and equipment of our poultry farm; capacity building and training for our members; and access to markets and credit facilities.
“Other assistance sought from the ministry included: provision of agricultural farming equipment like tractors and other mechanised farming tools; access to fertilisers for optimal crop yields; and financial grants to support our agricultural projects,” he said.
He assured that with the state government support through the ministry, “RAFEF Foundation can amplify its impact, driving agricultural growth, food security, rural development and improving the lives of Enugu State citizens.”
Responding, Ubru noted that the state government was committed to ensuring that Green Revolution trend, while offering the Foundation slots to produce 10 people who are between 18 and 35 years that would undergo training/empowerment by his ministry in November 2024.
The commissioner assured that his ministry would partner with the RAFEF Foundation and its Green Revolution Farmers Feed the Nation Foundation (GRFFNF) to make Enugu State a food basket of the nation.
He also assured that his ministry would definitely support the Foundation in land development and agricultural infrastructure, renovation and equipment of the foundation’s poultry farm and distribution of fertilisers to our farmers for optimal crop yields a priority.
He said, “I will advise that the foundation should register its cooperative society in the ministry and be part of the ongoing agricultural farming projects. The form will be immediately issued to you people.”
