The Enugu State Government has unveiled plans to launch 260 Smart Farm Estates, aimed at transforming agriculture and encouraging residents to participate in farming.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialization, Mr. Patrick Ubru, made this disclosure on Monday while leading an inspection team on behalf of Governor Peter Mbah at the pilot Smart Farm Estate site in Akpawfu, Nkanu East Local Government Area.
The initiative, a key part of Governor Peter Mbah’s grassroots agriculture revolution, is called “One Ward, One Smart Farm Estate.”
The Enugu State Government has allocated N2 billion in its 2025 budget for the Smart Farm Estates initiative, which will span all 260 political wards across the state’s 17 local government areas.
Ubru emphasized the importance of holding step-down town hall meetings in council areas to educate farmers on how to benefit from the initiative.
He stressed the urgency of organizing these meetings for targeted farmers without delay.
He called on individuals, cooperative societies, communities, corporate organizations, and agricultural agencies like IFAD-VCDP and FADAMA to collaborate on the initiative for the benefit of the people.
The commissioner described the “One Ward, One Smart Farm Estate” initiative as a game-changer, highlighting that Governor Mbah is ensuring all necessary measures are in place to maximize benefits for residents.
Ubru clarified that the initiative would be carried out on hectares of land, featuring diverse farming activities, including the cultivation of crops and the planting of both exotic and economic crops like cocoa, cassava, sorghum, vegetables, exotic peppers, and spices.
The initiative will address key challenges such as youth unemployment, hunger, food insecurity, and the knowledge gap in modern agricultural practices. Workshops will also be organized at the local level to equip farmers with necessary skills.
“I must confess that the zeal demonstrated here aligns with the aspirations of His Excellency, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, for all projects aimed at boosting the state’s economy, particularly in agriculture and agro-industrialization.
“I am personally pleased with the level of security infrastructure in place, and the State Ministry of Agriculture will always be available to support any efforts to ensure the success of this pilot farm,” he added
The Senior Personal Assistant on Agriculture to the Governor, Mr. Mike Ogbuekwe, confirmed that the initiative seeks to diversify the state’s economy through agriculture and agro-industrialization, with a particular emphasis on boosting the state’s Internally Generated Revenue.
“The Smart Farm Estates are designed to grow locally needed crops and special agricultural produce for export, such as Sorghum and Ose Nsukka, the aromatic and ornamental yellow pepper from Nsukka,” Ogbuekwe stated.
He also noted that Nigeria Breweries had reached out to the state government to discuss a potential partnership for the supply of sorghum, their main raw material, at the right time.
Earlier, the Consultant for the Smart Farm Estate pilot project, Mr. Friday Nnaji, explained that the pilot covers 200 hectares of farmland, to be allocated to 200 local farmers, each assigned a specific crop.
