AKWA IBOM EXPANDS AGRICULTURE PROGRAMME TO CREATE JOBS

The Akwa Ibom State Government is repositioning agriculture as a major source of employment, food production and wealth creation through investments in mechanisation, farm inputs, rural infrastructure and tree-crop development.

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Offiong Offor, disclosed this during a briefing with journalists in Uyo, where she reviewed the state’s agricultural interventions under Governor Umo Eno’s administration.

Offor said the government had established an Equipment Leasing Company, allowing farmers to access tractors and other farm machinery at a 50 per cent subsidy. She said the initiative was intended to improve productivity and reduce dependence on manual labour.

The commissioner also highlighted the Back to Farm and Home Farm programmes, which encourage residents to grow food for household consumption and generate additional income.

She said the state was supporting the World Bank-assisted Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, with 486 roads earmarked for improvement across the 31 local government areas. The project is expected to improve farmers’ access to markets and reduce post-harvest losses.

According to Offor, more than 16,000 farmers have received agricultural inputs through AK-CARES, while over 150 rural roads have been graded and 81 wet markets rehabilitated.

She added that the Tree Crop Revolution Programme would distribute more than 620,000 oil palm seedlings to 1,700 farmers, alongside continued support for cocoa production.

The commissioner said the interventions were aimed at making agriculture more productive while creating sustainable economic opportunities for residents.