Governor Otti Launches Abia Farmers Support Programme, Empowers 18,634 Farmers with Free Inputs and Logistics
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has officially launched the Abia State Farmers Support Programme, a major agricultural initiative designed to empower more than 18,000 farmers across the state’s 17 Local Government Areas with improved farm inputs and free transportation.
The programme, flagged off on Friday, July 10, at the Umuahia Township Stadium, marks another step in the state government’s drive to strengthen food security, create employment opportunities, and transform agriculture into a key pillar of Abia’s economic growth.
Speaking during the ceremony, Governor Otti said the distribution of agricultural inputs followed a comprehensive registration and verification exercise aimed at ensuring transparency, accountability, and equitable access for genuine farmers.
According to the governor, the state has developed a comprehensive database that links every registered farmer to a verified farmland, making it easier for government interventions to reach the right beneficiaries.
“We started with data gathering because we wanted to map every farmer to a farm. We now have a comprehensive database of our farmers. If we cannot identify you, we won’t be able to support you,” Otti said.
He encouraged farmers who have not yet registered to take advantage of the ongoing exercise so they can benefit from future government agricultural interventions.
Governor Otti stressed that while his administration remains committed to supporting smallholder farmers, its long-term vision is to promote commercial agriculture capable of boosting large-scale food production, attracting investment, and stimulating sustainable economic development.
He explained that agriculture should be treated as a viable business capable of driving wealth creation, rather than remaining limited to subsistence farming.
To further ease the burden on beneficiaries, the governor announced that the state government has fully arranged transportation for all distributed farm inputs, ensuring farmers move their supplies to their farms without incurring additional costs.
Governor Otti also revealed that Abia’s improved investment climate has attracted major investors into the agricultural sector. He disclosed that a multinational palm oil company has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state government to invest up to 200 million US dollars in agricultural development.
He noted that such investments would enhance food production, generate employment, reduce poverty, and position Abia as one of Nigeria’s leading agricultural hubs.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Cliff Agbaeze, announced that 18,634 verified farmers would receive improved seedlings and farm inputs, including cassava, rice, maize, plantain, sweet potato, pepper, tomato, and organic fertilizers.
He explained that 3,312 farmers were scheduled to receive their inputs during the official flag-off, while the remaining 15,322 beneficiaries would collect theirs through distribution centres across their respective Local Government Areas.
Dr. Agbaeze reiterated that only properly authenticated farmers captured in the state’s agricultural database with verifiable farmland qualified for the programme. He also confirmed that the Abia State Government had fully funded both the agricultural inputs and transportation costs.
Delivering the keynote address, the Executive Director of the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, Prof. Chiedozie Egesi, described the initiative as a strong indication that agriculture has regained priority in Abia’s development agenda.
He commended Governor Otti’s leadership, noting that the administration’s achievements in infrastructure, security, governance, public service delivery, and ease of doing business have restored public confidence.
Prof. Egesi also praised the establishment of a comprehensive farmers’ database, describing it as a strategic innovation that would improve agricultural planning and productivity. He pledged the institute’s readiness to partner with the Abia State Government in advancing agricultural research and food production.
Similarly, the Vice Chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Prof. Ursula Ngozi Akanwa, applauded Governor Otti for prioritising agriculture alongside other critical sectors.
She said the distribution of quality agricultural inputs represents a strategic investment that would increase productivity, improve farmers’ livelihoods, promote food sufficiency, and drive sustainable rural development.
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The event attracted government officials, agricultural stakeholders, development partners, and farmers from across the state, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to making agriculture a major engine of economic transformation in Abia.
