Follow Us on Google
By Chinyere Anyanwu
The Enugu State government has embarked on a transformational journey billed to revolutionise its agriculture with the Enugu Farm Estates Programme, an initiative aimed at turning the state’s rural communities into thriving economic centres.
The state government noted that the project is not just about farming but about transforming lives, unlocking prosperity and placing the state on the global agricultural map. The project is envisioned to give every farmer access to modern technology, enable every hectare of land to yield its full potential, and extricate agriculture from being seen as a struggle but a thriving industry.
The potential impact of the programme on the local economy would be significant, according to the state government, with the creation of thousands of direct and indirect jobs and a substantial increase in agricultural output.
It noted that with a strategic blueprint inspired by the success stories of Israel, Brazil, China and Vietnam, Enugu State is determined to harness its rich agricultural resources to create employment, ensure food security, and drive economic growth. This ambitious strategy aims to increase agricultural output by 2,000 per cent within the next decade, positioning Enugu as a model for sustainable agricultural development.
Similar models in Israel have increased farm yields by 1,500 per cent through precision agriculture, while Brazil has turned formerly unproductive land into thriving agricultural hubs, contributing over $84 billion annually to its economy. This potential for economic growth is a reason for optimism about the future of Enugu State.
The state said it embraces a holistic approach to agricultural transformation. The programme is not just about farming but about creating a structured and sustainable ecosystem, where agriculture drives economic prosperity.
The Enugu Farm Estates Programme is poised to impact the state’s socio-economic landscape by targeting food security, job creation, and rural economic development.
Governor Peter Mbah said, “we envision an Enugu where agriculture is not just a subsistence activity but a wealth-generating industry, contributing significantly to our $30 billion GDP target.”
According to him, “the policy for the development of agriculture is a two-pronged approach. The first is supporting large-scale farming through land banks. Investors are allocated land to commence large-scale agriculture. The second is the farm estates, which are for smallholder farmers. While increasing the productivity of smallholder farmers, the government aims to aggregate them and make them produce in a manner that surpasses the productivity of large-scale farmers. This dual strategy—supporting smallholder farmers while creating opportunities for large-scale agribusiness—ensures Enugu’s comprehensive and sustainable agricultural transformation. In Nigeria, states embracing large-scale agribusiness have reported a noticeable increase in agricultural GDP within five years.”
Enugu State,.he said, has positioned itself as a destination for large-scale commercial agriculture. The Enugu State Land Bank, with over 130,000 hectares of land, is available for investors looking to establish large-scale agricultural enterprises. This policy framework attracts agribusiness investments, fosters public-private agricultural partnerships, promotes modern and technology-driven farming practices, and develops value chains for export and food processing.
The farm estate model is built on three key pillars: sustainable agricultural practices that promote environmentally friendly farming techniques and ensure long-term productivity; economic empowerment that creates direct and indirect employment opportunities while increasing farmers’ incomes; and rural security and development that transform uninhabited and underutilised land into thriving agricultural hubs contributing to community stability. With these guiding principles, the programme is designed to harness Enugu’s vast agricultural potential and create an inclusive economy where smallholder farmers and large-scale investors can thrive.
The farm estates are designed to operate as cluster farms, with each estate covering 200 hectares per ward. Enugu State has 260 wards, resulting in 52,000 hectares of farmland, providing over 104,000 direct jobs and more than 156,000 indirect jobs. This unprecedented scale of development marks a bold step toward repositioning agriculture as a cornerstone of the state’s economy.
