Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has launched an ambitious initiative, distributing inputs and grants worth over N4.6 billion to farmers, communities, and IT startups across the state.
This move aims to boost food security, encourage agro-industrialization, and support the growth of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises.
According to The PUNCH, at the symbolic flag-off ceremony held at Okpara Square in Enugu on Thursday, Mbah underscored the significance of empowering small-scale entrepreneurs for sustainable economic advancement.
He emphasized that these entrepreneurs are crucial to economic development and need support through essential enablers.
Mbah revealed that 12,000 smallholder farmers would each receive a bag of fertilizer, donated by the Federal Government to all states.
Additionally, 51 power tillers, valued at N2 million each, will be distributed to various farming clusters, highlighting the administration’s dedication to agricultural progress and MSME development.
The governor also announced the distribution of agricultural inputs to 1,251 beneficiaries across the 17 local government areas.
These inputs include rice and bean seedlings, cassava stems, organic fertilizers, and herbicides.
Furthermore, Mbah’s administration plans to revamp several rural roads to improve connectivity and prevent farming clusters from being isolated.
The support for MSMEs is set at N1 billion, with 80 percent of this sum allocated to women-owned enterprises.
“The value of our entrepreneurship intervention programme being flagged off today is N1 billion. This includes the disbursement of N60,000 to over 16,000 beneficiaries, mostly comprising owners of nano-enterprises on a ratio of 80:20 in favor of women,” Mbah stated. He explained that the large proportion for women reflects the administration’s focus on alleviating poverty, particularly among women in rural areas.
Also, N400,000 will be distributed to 187 beneficiaries, while 10 tech startups will each receive N7.5 million. Other initiatives include operational grants for solar equipment to 256 beneficiaries, and items such as laptops and POS terminals for 269 recipients.
Mbah also announced a water provision and sanitation initiative worth N15 million across 135 communities, with a total investment exceeding N2 billion.
This project includes the construction of modern boreholes, toilet facilities, and the provision of power generators in town halls, markets, and schools.
In his address, Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation Patrick Ubru urged beneficiaries to use the inputs and grants wisely to create jobs, revolutionize the agricultural sector, and enhance the state’s economy.
Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Enugu State chapter, Romanus Eze, assured the governor that the farmers and other beneficiaries would deliver tangible results.
“We have never had it so good. Therefore, we will not disappoint you. We promise you concrete results for to whom much is given, much is also expected,” he said.
