Akwa Ibom State Government has commenced the distribution of fertilizer and other agricultural inputs to farmers across the state as part of efforts to raise farm output and strengthen the state’s capacity to produce enough food for its growing population.
The exercise, flagged off by Governor Umo Eno on Friday at the Federal Government Cereal Reserve, Okobo Ibiono, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, is targeted at thousands of farmers operating through cooperative societies and the state chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN).
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, Eno said putting fertilizer and other essential inputs in the hands of farmers was necessary to improve productivity, expand cultivation and ultimately increase the volume of food available in the state.
The Governor said the intervention was part of the agricultural component of the ARISE Agenda, stressing that government was providing support to farmers because of their critical role in achieving food sufficiency.
“This exercise is a practical step towards boosting food production and providing the much needed feeding for the nation,” Eno said.
He also connected increased agricultural production with the pressure on household food costs, arguing that greater availability of locally produced food would help make prices more affordable.
“I want to encourage more Akwa Ibom people to go back to the farm. We have arable land, we have a large population of youth, we have a favourable climate and we have the support of government,” he stated.
Eno urged beneficiaries to apply the fertilizer and other inputs strictly for farming, warning against diversion, while assuring farmers who had not benefited from the administration’s ₦2 billion agricultural grants that they would have their turn.
Beyond the current fertilizer distribution, the Governor listed other measures being implemented to expand agricultural activity, including the establishment of a model farm and an Agricultural Equipment Leasing Company, counterpart funding for donor-supported projects, the Home Farm Scheme, tree-crop development, the Schools’ Agricultural Programme and monthly work-free farm days for civil servants.
Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Offiong Offor, said the fertilizer distribution was designed to reach farmers across the state through organised agricultural groups, adding that the intervention formed part of the government’s broader effort to accelerate the agricultural revolution under the ARISE Agenda.
The state government’s approach therefore combines direct farm-input support with financing and access to equipment, with the objective of enabling more farmers to cultivate, improve yields and contribute to the state’s food supply.
At the event, the Governor symbolically presented bags of fertilizer, cassava stems and other agricultural inputs to farmers, marking the commencement of the distribution exercise.
The initiative received commendation from AFAN Chairman in the state, Mrs Philomena Ntuen, women’s representative Mrs Glory William and agricultural stakeholder Edet Ikotidem, who acknowledged the support being extended to farmers.
The event was attended by government officials, agricultural stakeholders, the Chairman of Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, Hon. Asuakak Umoh, and the Village Head of Okobo Ibiono, Eteidung Bassey Umoh.
