Category: News

…Targets agro-processing, export

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, on Tuesday, flagged off the 2026 distribution of fertilisers and other farm inputs to 63,000 registered smallholder farmers in the state.

Mbah also said the move was in line with his administration’s commitment to eradicating poverty and growing Enugu State into a $30 billion economy, noting that 40 per cent of the growth would come from agriculture.

Mbah said his administration had always seen agriculture as more than just a mere source of food, but as big business, hence the efforts to migrate Enugu farmers from subsistence to commercial farming.

“We have done this in the last three years, essentially providing fertilisers, agrochemicals, stems, seeds, and seedlings to improve our yields. Today, we have 63,000 bags of fertilisers. We have to train our farmers.

“We also have to migrate our smallholder farmers from subsistence farming to mechanised farming, which is why we also invested in machinery. And that means that we are going to start thinking about a full value chain.

“We are looking at exports, playing in all the value chains, being able to export fresh produce from here to other parts of the world, being able to process our produce, add value, package, and then export. This is also why the airport concession and cargo terminal are important to us,” he said.

Mbah called on those saddled with the distribution to ensure that the inputs got to the farmers by sticking to the database and also warned the farmers against selling the inputs.

“We are working with our database. We are also going to implore all our stakeholders, the Local Government Chairmen, and the priests in the various communities to make sure that these inputs get to the end users, free of charge. Please, make sure that these inputs get to our farmers. We do not want middlemen.

“The fertilisers also have ‘Not for Sale’ boldly written on them. So, you must make sure that you use this to scale up our production so that we can have a bumper harvest and drive down the cost of food in Enugu,” he stressed.

He said the Special Agro-Processing Zones, one of the agro-industrialisation initiatives of his administration, would soon come on board to scale up production and cut post-harvest losses.

“We want to make sure that we increase the earning capacity of our various communities where we actually have a lot of our poor people. We’re building our farm roads so that it will be easy for us to evacuate what we have produced,” he stated.

Earlier in his remarks, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Dr. Patrick Ubru, announced a significant increase in the 2026 Agricultural Free Inputs Distribution Programme compared to 2024.

“In 2024, over 12,000 bags of fertiliser, improved seeds, and chemicals were distributed, rising to over 40,000 last year.

“Today, over 63,000 bags will be distributed, representing a 58 per cent increase from last year.

“Thousands of farmers across the 17 Local Government Areas will receive free improved rice, maize, tomato and pepper seeds, cassava stems, fertilisers, and agrochemicals to boost productivity and reduce costs,” he said.

Beyond the support through inputs, Ubru said the Mbah administration had established a modern Seed Testing Laboratory and Seed Gallery, digitally profiled over 84,000 farmers, and integrated agricultural data into the state’s Geographic Information System (GIS).

“Over 25,000 farmers have been trained in climate-smart agriculture, while we are also providing Seasonal Climate Prediction Information through our partnership with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).

“The 260 Farm Estate Programme is underway in Enugu State, and a tractor assembly plant has been established through a partnership with Nortra Tractors, making mechanisation more accessible.

“Additionally, centre pivot irrigation systems are being rehabilitated to enable year-round cultivation of crops like rice,” he added.

In his remarks, the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme Phase One (ATASP-1) Coordinator, Romanus Egba, assured the governor of well-planned distribution channels, using clergy and community leaders to ensure that the various items reached the intended beneficiaries.

In addition to a bag of fertiliser, he said, “each farmer will get one bag of maize or rice, cassava cuttings, herbicide, and vegetable seeds such as tomatoes or pepper.”

The representative of the Farmers Association of Nigeria (FAN), Enugu State Chapter, Sir Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Eneh, while thanking Governor Mbah for his consistent massive investment in agriculture, warned any farmer or anybody who colludes to sell any of the farm inputs to be ready to go to jail.

…Ayo Fayose named REA Board Chairman

The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Mainstream Media, in partnership with the Tomorrow Is Here Movement (TIH), has announced a 2026 campaign jingles competition with more than ₦7 million in cash prizes to encourage creative works promoting the achievements and re-election bid of Enugu State Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.

According to a joint announcement signed by Dan Nwomeh, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Mainstream Media, and Hon. Tony Okonkwo, State Coordinator of the Tomorrow Is Here Movement (TIH), the competition is aimed at discovering and promoting home-grown musical talents while providing musicians and content creators with a platform to showcase their creativity.

The organisers said participants are expected to produce original campaign jingles highlighting Governor Mbah’s transformational leadership, developmental achievements, and people-centred programmes, while encouraging voters to re-elect him in the forthcoming governorship election.

Under the competition, the winner will receive ₦2 million, while the second and third-placed entries will earn ₦1 million and ₦750,000, respectively. Cash prizes of ₦600,000 and ₦500,000 have been earmarked for the fourth and fifth positions, while contestants who finish sixth to 10th will receive ₦250,000 each. Ten additional consolation prizes will also be awarded.

The announcement stated that the competition is open to musicians, songwriters, vocalists, music producers, and other creative talents who are indigenes, residents, or well-wishers of Enugu State. Entries may be submitted by individuals or groups, with each participant permitted to submit a maximum of five original jingles.

It added that entries must promote the achievements, vision, leadership, and transformational programmes of Governor Mbah, while urging voters to support his re-election and vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC), including a reference to the party’s symbol, the broom.

According to the organisers, jingles may be recorded in English, Igbo, a local dialect, Pidgin English, or a combination of the languages, provided they do not exceed 60 seconds and are submitted in MP3 format.

The organisers said entries, accompanied by the participant’s personal details and brief profile, should be submitted via WhatsApp to 09063106930 on or before August 20, 2026. They added that selected entries may be adopted for public enlightenment, mobilisation, publicity, and campaign activities, while winners will be announced on a date to be communicated later.

The Enugu State Executive Council (EXCO) has approved a raft of initiatives spanning agriculture, education, healthcare, infrastructure, housing and tourism, including the distribution of free agricultural inputs to 63,000 smallholder farmers, the recruitment of 4,698 additional teachers for Smart Green Schools, the activation of isolation centres over the Ebola outbreak in parts of East Africa, and the commencement of major road, housing and tourism projects across the state.

The approvals were reached at the State Executive Council meeting held at the weekend and disclosed by commissioners during separate briefings with Government House correspondents.

Those who addressed journalists included the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Malachy Agbo; Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Dr. Patrick Ubru; Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ndubueze Mbah; Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu; Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Ben Osy Okoh; and Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dame Ugochi Madueke.

They said the approvals align with Governor Peter Mbah’s vision of transforming Enugu State into a $30 billion economy through strategic investments in human capital, infrastructure, agriculture and tourism.

Speaking on agriculture, Ubru said the state government had increased the number of beneficiaries of its farm input support programme from about 40,000 last year to 63,000 registered smallholder farmers this year.

According to him, beneficiaries will receive free fertilisers, agrochemicals, rice seeds, maize seeds, pepper seeds and tomato seeds to reduce production costs and improve agricultural output.

He said Governor Peter Mbah will officially flag off the distribution on Tuesday, July 21, after which supplies will be distributed across the state’s 260 political wards under strict monitoring to ensure only duly registered and verifiable farmers benefit.

“It is targeted at reducing the cost of agricultural production and ensuring that our smallholder farmers increase their income and improve their livelihoods,” Ubru said.

On education, Prof. Ndubueze Mbah announced the approval for the recruitment of 4,698 additional teachers to fully staff the state’s 267 Smart Green Schools.

He also disclosed that the government had intensified efforts to operationalise the Centre for Experiential Learning and Innovation (CELI) at the Enugu State College of Education (Technical), describing it as a critical institution for sustaining the Smart Green School initiative.

According to him, CELI will ensure continuous training and retraining of teachers while also supporting young innovators with patentable ideas and technologies to commercialise their innovations.

In the health sector, Prof. George Ugwu said the state government had ordered the immediate reactivation of all isolation centres established during the COVID-19 pandemic following the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and parts of Uganda.

He explained that the decision was a proactive measure, especially as Enugu now receives direct international flights.

“Because countries are now regarded as a global village and considering the fact that Enugu is now a gateway state receiving direct international flights, the state government has now directed that all the isolation centres established during the time of COVID-19 should be immediately reactivated and made ready for service,” he said.

Ugwu also disclosed that EXCO directed contractors handling expansion works at state-owned hospitals, including the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (Park Lane) and the State University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS) Teaching Hospital, to accelerate work for completion before the end of the year.

He added that the Enugu International Hospital would be commissioned within the next few weeks.

On infrastructure, Engr. Ben Osy Okoh announced the approval for the completion and remodelling of the long-abandoned Wings C and D of the Enugu State Secretariat Complex, alongside the rehabilitation of Wings A and B.

He explained that the project would modernise the entire Secretariat with contemporary facilities.

The council also approved the immediate construction of the 10.5-kilometre Igogoro-Amachara-Ikpamodo-Okpo-Amaada Road, as well as comprehensive flood control works on the major road in Nsukka and five adjoining streets through drainage rehabilitation and desilting.

Okoh further announced the approval for the procurement of more than 30 pieces of light construction equipment for the Ministry of Works to strengthen direct labour operations, emergency interventions and maintenance works across the state.

On housing, the commissioner disclosed that the government approved the construction of 1,000 fully detached four- and five-bedroom terrace housing units within the Enugu Smart City, following the completion of the first phase of the 6.5-kilometre dual carriageway serving the new city.

He added that government also approved the development of an additional 18,000 mass housing units at the Gateway Estate to address the state’s housing deficit.

According to him, the estates will be fully serviced with roads, electricity, water supply and other supporting infrastructure.

Speaking on tourism, Dame Ugochi Madueke announced the approval of several flagship projects aimed at positioning Enugu as a leading tourism destination.

They include the Ovu Lake Golf Resort at Akpawfu in Nkanu East Local Government Area, the Akwuke Tourism Development Project in Enugu South, the Attakwu Ecotourism Project in Nkanu West, and the Okpatu-Awhum Cable Car Project.

She explained that the Ovu Lake Golf Resort would feature an 18-hole championship golf course, a luxury hotel with over 100 rooms, a 600-seat conference centre, boat regatta, landscaped gardens, clubhouses, children’s playgrounds, lawn tennis and basketball courts, among other world-class recreational facilities.

According to her, the Attakwu Tourism Project will harness the area’s virgin forest and natural lake to create an ecotourism destination complete with an animal sanctuary and nature-based attractions.

She added that the Akwuke project would feature a modern sand beach, theme park, water park, scenic boardwalk and a comprehensive recreational park for families and visitors.

Madueke further disclosed that the approved Okpatu-Awhum Cable Car would span approximately 5.32 kilometres from the iconic Cross of Hope on Okpatu Hill to the Awhum Waterfall.

She said the project would have three stations located at the Cross of Hope, Awhum Monastery and Awhum Waterfall, where visitors would also enjoy facilities including a rotunda, experience centre and food court.

“Rather than climbing the hills on foot, visitors will be able to enjoy a safe, scenic and comfortable cable car ride from the Cross of Hope directly to the Awhum Waterfall, creating a truly unforgettable tourism experience,” she said.

The commissioners maintained that the approvals demonstrate the Mbah administration’s commitment to sustaining governance and delivering transformative projects across all sectors despite ongoing political activities in the state.

 

Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, on Friday joined other well-meaning Nigerians in celebrating former Minister of Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji, on his 70th birthday, commending the Professor of Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing for coming home to impact the nation.

Mbah said Nnaji’s decision to return home was the real defining chapter of his life.

He, however, said his administration was committed to building an Enugu State where young people could imagine their future and actualise their potential without necessarily having to leave the country physically.

The governor spoke at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, during a colloquium to mark the former Minister’s milestone birthday.

Speaking at the event, themed “Powering Tomorrow: 70 Years of Engineering the Common Good,” Mbah said, “Professor Nnaji’s life reminds us that the journey is only complete when knowledge returns to serve the community that first nurtured it.

“Prof. came home. And he returned not because he had to, but because he believed that what he had learned belonged here as well.

“He founded Geometric Power, becoming a pioneer of indigenous power development in Nigeria. He answered the call to public service in science and technology. He invested not only in infrastructure, but in people.

“For me, the defining chapter of his journey is not simply that he left. Not simply that he succeeded. But that he returned.

“His life also reminds us that engineering is ultimately an act of service. Its value is measured by the difference it makes to people’s lives: a community with reliable electricity, a hospital that never loses power during surgery, a young entrepreneur with the confidence to build a business because the foundations are dependable. That is why the theme of this colloquium is so fitting.

“Throughout his career, Professor Nnaji has shown us that knowledge reaches its highest purpose when it is placed in the service of others,” he stated.

“We want to build an Enugu where every young person can imagine a future worthy of their gifts; a place where world-class education, reliable infrastructure, security, innovation, and enterprise come together to create genuine opportunity.

He, however, said that whereas Prof. Nnaji had to travel to America, where he made it, his administration had envisioned an Enugu State where youths and children could excel, actualising their potential.

“Our ambition is simple: that the next generation can acquire world-class skills, pursue world-class careers, and help build a world-class society – without feeling that they must leave home in order to fulfill their potential.

“That is why we are investing so heavily in education, equipping every Smart Green School with robotics and AI laboratories, strengthening our engineering and digital capabilities, expanding power infrastructure, and preparing our children for the demands of the 21st century,” he stated.

He added that his government was equally committed to building Enugu State into “a place that continues to welcome home those who have travelled the world, while increasingly becoming a place where the world itself comes to Enugu.”

Stressing the need for inclusive, quality education for all, Mbah commended President Bola Tinubu’s National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) initiative for promoting access to tertiary education.

“Our goal in education perfectly aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Initiative, which has, through NELFUND, strengthened inclusiveness in education – ensuring that no student is denied access to tertiary education on account of lack of access to funds,” the governor concluded.

Meanwhile, the event was attended by many personalities, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, represented by Special Adviser the President on Power Infrastructure, Office of the Vice President, Sadiq Wanka; former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti; former Central Bank Governor, Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; wife of Nigeria’s First Republic President, Prof. Uche Azikiwe; co-Founder, Seplat Energy, Dr. ABC Orjiakor; President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Senator John Azuta Mbata; captains of industry and a host of others.

Nigeria’s Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening national identity system through enhanced collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology (FMIST) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

The Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, SAN, made the commitment while receiving the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, during a courtesy visit to his office.

Dr. Udeh said a robust national identity system is critical to building a secure digital economy and improving public service delivery.

Udeh added that stronger collaboration between FMIST and NIMC would accelerate digital innovation, strengthen governance, enhance service delivery, and support the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.

Speaking during the visit, Coker-Odusote said the engagement was aimed at deepening collaboration between both institutions and identifying new opportunities to advance Nigeria’s digital transformation.

She reaffirmed NIMC’s commitment to building a secure, inclusive, and efficient national identity system that promotes digital governance and seamless access to public services.

Both officials reaffirmed their commitment to closer collaboration to advance digital identity, promote innovation, and support the development of a secure, digitally enabled Nigeria.

The Enugu State Housing Development Corporation (ESHDC) has unveiled a demand-driven approach to affordable housing delivery, advocating practical solutions that align with the needs, preferences, and economic realities of Nigerians.

Speaking at the 20th anniversary edition of the Africa International Housing Show (AIHS) 2026 in Abuja, the Acting General Manager of ESHDC, Mrs. Adenike Okebu, presented the Corporation’s housing model as a practical strategy for tackling Nigeria’s housing deficit through sustainable, people-centred development.

The six-day conference, held at the Transcorp Hilton, brought together participants from more than 30 countries, including government officials, policymakers, investors, developers, housing finance institutions, and construction experts to explore innovative policies, financing models, and partnerships for expanding access to affordable housing across Africa.

Addressing participants during a panel session on affordable housing, Mrs. Okebu, who is the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Revenue, identified poor location planning as one of the major reasons many low-income housing schemes across Nigeria fail to achieve their objectives. She observed that several government-built estates are situated far from places of work, schools, healthcare facilities, and other essential services, making them unattractive to the very people they are intended to serve.

“Affordable housing is not just about building houses. It is about providing homes where people actually want to live, with access to jobs, schools, healthcare, and the basic infrastructure that supports everyday life,” she said.

She stressed that affordable housing should not be measured merely by the cost of construction but also by its accessibility, convenience, and livability, noting that housing developments must reflect the aspirations and lifestyle preferences of their intended beneficiaries.

Mrs. Okebu explained that ESHDC is addressing this challenge by adopting a demand-driven model that provides affordable land in desirable locations, enabling individuals and families to build homes at their own pace and according to their financial capacity. According to her, the approach minimizes the risk of developing housing estates that ultimately remain unoccupied because they fail to meet the expectations of prospective homeowners.

The Acting General Manager also showcased “Tomorrow Is Here,” ESHDC’s flagship housing development in Owo, Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, describing it as a model for modern, sustainable, and well-planned communities. She said the estate is being supported with critical infrastructure, including road networks, drainage systems, electricity, water supply, and other essential amenities required for a functional and attractive residential environment.

Speaking on the role of government and private investors, Mrs. Okebu emphasized that government alone cannot bridge Nigeria’s huge housing deficit, calling for stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors.

“Government cannot solve the housing deficit alone. We must build strategic partnerships with the private sector that deliver reasonable returns for investors while making home ownership more accessible and affordable for ordinary Nigerians,” she stated.

Her presentation generated robust discussions among housing experts, developers, and policymakers at the conference, reinforcing ESHDC’s commitment to innovative, inclusive, and sustainable housing solutions.

Now in its 20th edition, the Africa International Housing Show has evolved into the continent’s foremost housing and construction platform, providing a forum for policy dialogue, investment promotion, technology exchange, and collaboration aimed at expanding access to decent and affordable housing across Africa.

The Independent National Electoral Commission is considering conducting a comprehensive audit of its electoral technology systems and a mock presidential election ahead of the 2027 general election to test the reliability of its processes and technology.