Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Enugu State Government has announced the upgrade of the Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo, to a University of Agriculture, with an additional campus to be sited in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area.
Governor Peter Mbah disclosed this at Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, while flagging off the distribution of 40,000 bags of fertilizer and other farm inputs to over 60,000 registered farmers across the state.
According to the governor, the new university will train the next generation of agricultural scientists, entrepreneurs, and innovators. He reiterated his administration’s commitment to establishing a Special Agro-Processing Zone that will enable the state to process, package, and export value-added agricultural products.
“The aim is to make Enugu a major exporter of agro products. We are commencing this initiative with a pilot agricultural industrial hub and three agricultural transformation centres, which will serve as catalysts for agro-processing, job creation, and rural development,” Mbah said.
The governor also revealed that the state had taken delivery of 102 tractors, with another 98 expected soon. In addition, 800 tractors will be assembled locally at the Nortra Assembling Plant in Enugu to provide farmers with access to mechanized farming.
Mbah described agriculture as the backbone of the old Eastern Region’s economy, stressing that his administration’s investment in the sector is pivotal to achieving the goal of growing Enugu’s economy to $30 billion and reducing the poverty headcount rate to zero. “Farming is a vocation that requires professional insights and contributions,” he added.
Speaking earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Mr. Patrick Ubru, said the initiative demonstrates the governor’s commitment to transforming rural communities into vibrant centres of economic growth, prosperity, and resilience.
“The agricultural sector in Enugu State has never had it this good,” Ubru said.
Similarly, the Enugu Farm Estate consultant, Alhaji Friday Sani-Nnaji, and the Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture, Hon. Ejike Eze, commended the governor for his achievements in the agric sector. They assured that food security would be guaranteed in the state by 2026.
At the event, over 40,000 bags of fertilizer, more than 100 tractors, and several other farm inputs were distributed to registered farmers across the state.
