BY PRINCELY ONYENWE,IMO
Imo state government under H/E Governor Hope Uzodinma has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Agricultural Land Development Agency (NALDA) on livestock production and related agricultural farming led by the Director, Prince Paul Ikonne.
Speaking with the press on Monday, the director of NALDA, has assured that the MOU will bring about the revival of Achara-Ugo Farm Settlement in EMEKUKU and Songhai Farms at NEKEDE and when fully operational, NALDA projects will give direct employment to over 40,000 youths in Imo State alone.
During the signing, the governor gave concrete assurances to provide all the support NALDA would require to ensure the smooth completion of their projects in Imo State.
Governor Uzodinma however thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for considering Imo State for this very important intervention and for rolling out this wonderful project that is meant, not only to provide food security, but also to provide gainful employment to unemployed Nigerian youths as Imo State alone does not have all the resources to revive all the abandoned agricultural projects and Allied Industries without support.
He expressed gratitude further to Mr. President for deeming it necessary to include Imo State among the benefitting States in the pilot programme of NALDA inorder to revive abandoned agro projects and even encourage the establishment of new ones.
He futher stated that his administration is working with the communities who will at the end of the day, take ownership of the projects, protect the sites and own the produce.
Uzodinma therefore enjoined NALDA to, on its own, go beyond livestock farming and do more agro projects in Imo State as he has promised to give them the necessary support to ensure that there is food security, not only for Imo citizens alone but for Nigerians as a whole.
Furthermore, the governor urged NALDA to work to ensure that the people earn foreign exchange through exports of their products as the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport is readily available to serve the purpose for exportation of agricultural produce.
He finally seized the opportunity to inform Nigerians that arrangements have been concluded by the Federal Ministry of Aviation to make the Sam Mbakwe Cargo International Airport functional by September this year.
This could showcase the new narrative of Imo state government under Uzodinma’s watch as the contractors handling Imo roads mostly that of Nekede/ Ihiagwa/Obinze road were charged to add more speed to complete the roads.
9News Nigeria (Owerri)
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