Abia state government has commenced a capacity building training for the first batch of 300 candidates selected for agricultural training at CSS Global Integrated Farms, Nassarawa State.
Delivering a speech at the event,Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, said that one of the ways Nigeria can solve the problem of food security is through the mechanisation of farming and establishing such businesses across the states of the federation.
Governor Otti who pointed out that with this measure, Nigeria would have found a panacea to food security amid rising import cost, stressed the role of agriculture in not only addressing food security but also in curbing unemployment and fostering socio-economic stability.
According to Governor Otti, a whoping N7.8 trillion was spent by the Federal Government on food imports over the past six years.
He noted that Nigeria is blessed with abundant arable land and as such should not be burdened with huge import bills, stressing the need for a paradigm shift and for stakeholders to take the issue seriously.
In his words, “It is a shame that a country of over 200 million people with so much arable land, reputed as largest producers and cultivators of food items spend so much money importing food. In 2021, we spent about 1.9 trillion Naira. In 2022 and 2023, we spent about about two trillion Naira, each year, importing food. So, to put it in contest, our budget for 2024 is somewhere around N28 trillion; N27.5 trillion and then upgraded to about N28 trillion”.
The Governor disclosed that the two weeks agricultural training is aimed at enhancing local food production and urged trainees of the programme to be good ambassadors of the State as well as leverage the opportunity and equip themselves with the knowledge and skills to spearhead agricultural transformation in the State.
He reassured participants of comprehensive support, promising that the Government would cover all expenses from inception to completion of the agricultural training.
While thanking the Founder and CEO of the CSS Global Integrated Farms, Prof. John-Kennedy Opara, for his support to the present administration, the Governor urged Prof. Opara to consider establishing a farm in Abia State.
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In a presentation titled; “Agricultural Development and Food Security – The Path to Human and Capital Resources Development”, Prof. Opara, said God had destined Governor Otti to lay a solid foundation in Abia upon which his successors will build.
Prof. Opara, while calling on leaders to give agriculture priority attention in the midst of biting economic hardship, noted that Abia can overtake the likes of Israel in food production and export and can feed the whole of West Africa.
He said that by the training of the first batch of 300 Abians in various agricultural value chains, Governor Otti is empowering the youths to be creators of wealth and employers of labour, thereby ending joblessness, hunger, criminality and poverty among the youths.
In their remarks, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Professor Monica Ironkwe and Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Dr. Cliff Agbaeze noted that the 300 beneficiaries were carefully selected from wards to be trained in various Agriculture value chains, adding that with the gesture and other proactive steps taken by Governor Otti, Abia would in the near future, feed the whole Nigeria.
