Chinedu Eze

The Governor of Enugu state, Dr Peter Mba, has said the state has concluded plans to provide 300, 000 hectares of land in each senatorial zone for the cultivation of cash crops that would be processed for export.


Mba, said his administration has laid out the plans to actualise this goal in order to boost the state’s revenue, create jobs and also build associated infrastructure that would enable the state to be a net exporter of different types of farm produce.

To this end, the governor has initiated plans to build ultra-modern warehouse for the storage and processing of farm perishables at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu in collaboration with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).


He also disclosed that the Enugu state government would establish an airline that would be focused on cargo freighting and passenger service, adding that he had set a target of 15 months to establish the airline and get it ready for certification by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

Mba made these known yesterday when members of Aviacargo Roadmap Committee visited him at the Government House, Enugu. He assured them that he has already kickstarted the plan to develop agriculture as major source of foreign exchange earner of the state.


Your plan to encourage export of farm produce coincides with our plan to boost our revenue through the export of agricultural produce to realise our objective of increase the state’s earnings from $4 billion $30 billion within the next four to eight years.

“We have elevated our Ministry of Agriculture to Agro and Allied Ministry and we want to promote agriculture so that it will contribute about 40 per cent to our GDP.

“We shall establish 300,000 hectares of farm land in the three senatorial zones of our state. We aim to export farm produce and we have designed a common export facility we intend to construct with quality assurance and standardisation procedures.

We have also identified our constraints. We do believe that Enugu should have a cargo terminal and given the urgency with which we want to realise our goals, we need the cargo terminal as quickly as possible.

“We intend to have cold chain facility and warehouses. We are also looking to start the export of some farm produce, including ose Nsukka (special pepper) which is in very high demand overseas. We are interested in value addition,” the Governor said.


Earlier in a speech, the Coordinator of Aviacargo Roadmap Committee, Ambassador Ikechi Uko told the Governor that there was need to increase the volume of cargo, especially agri-produce from Nigeria to boost foreign exchange and to create jobs for Nigerians, regretting that many argo planes that arrive Nigeria to drop products fly back empty because Nigeria does not have much to export; “yet we have airports all over the country but we have not been able to use what we have invested to solve our problem.”

He said for Nigeria to increase its export of farm produce it had to adopt a new strategy, which include finding out what the international market needs, cultivating crops following standard processes as every produce that would be exported has a known origin or provenance.

So, traceability is very important because overseas you cannot consume what you don’t know the source to ensure that it was produced in a healthy manner and in a safe environment, he added.

We have built airports that are carcasses, that do not have warehouses. Perishables will do very well in Enugu so we can do a cluster and that calls for the provision of basic infrastructure for farm produce in Enugu,” Ikechi said.

Giving details about the planned airline, Enugu Air, the State Commissioner of Transportation, Obi Ozor said Enugu Air was envisioned to operate as a multi-modal transportation system, encompassing both passenger and cargo services.

“We want to establish an airline, Enugu Air, which will consist of both passengers and cargo operations, especially on the cargo side to be able to use that as a channel to encourage export of agricultural produce and other mining products.

Also, on the passenger side we want to use the airline to bring investors in and out of the state, as we are the regional hub of Southeast of Nigeria.

“So that is part of the works, and our Governor is very committed to this. He is addicted to speed along with accuracy,” Ozor said.

Beremx:
Too much talk and no action. Another hopeless governor just like his counterpart in Imo State. As it stands now, only Soludo and Otti are working.
Ebonyi state governor, I don't even understand that one sef.

Mtscheew

Ebubu:
Hope Anambra people will mock Enugu people for having an airline like they mocked Ebonyi for establishing an airport for agricultural export ?



Anambra people are hate-fuls if the project is not from their state they poison it.

But if Lagos is floating an airline and building metro rails they will be jealous and wishing it was their region but if their region do it they backbite because it is not their state.


Solution is for Anambra to vote good governance so they won’t be poisoning and talking down on other good projects from other SE states.


Akwa Ibom also has airline.


The Ebonyi man ruling Enugu, well done. You’ve done Ezza people in Ebonyi State proud.

christejames:
This governor is practically and obvious confused, bereft of any modicum of good governance


O! Our judiciary, this man should be knocked out abeg, Enugu state has never been this slow in governance. Even Gburugburu by this time during his first tenure already has some projects to his credit.

Ebubu:
Hope Anambra people will mock Enugu people for having an airline like they mocked Ebonyi for establishing an airport for agricultural export ?



Anambra people are hate-fuls if the project is not from their state they poison it.

But if Lagos is floating an airline and building metro rails they will be jealous and wishing it was their region but if their region do it they backbite because it is not their state.


Solution is for Anambra to vote good governance so they won’t be poisoning and talking down on other good projects from other SE states.


Akwa Ibom also has airline.


The Ebonyi man ruling Enugu, well done. You’ve done Ezza people in Ebonyi State proud.

Billionairly:


Hey Fxcker, STOP impersonating Ebonyi people, STOP trying to create rift between igbo people. No one for a fact is buying this, We are all wiser now, You are late to the party. Before you,we have had other igbo impersonators like Mileszenawii and co from 7 years ago here on nairaland. I repeat, nobody is falling for ur bullcrap, fxck off and go and kxll yourself.

Ebubu:


When Anambra people insult Abakaliki people, you don’t deny them of being Igbo and call them out to stop that.

When Abakaliki people retaliate in return for the insults, you now call them non-Igbos and say they’re creating rift among Igbo people.

Retard!

SpaceTour:
Abakaleke baastard what can you do, you ebonyi people are awusa from chad. Ebonyi people are slaves to Anambra people. You dare not insult your masters

Beremx:
Chino on the beat!! Lol nwoke m, you never stop this your Anambra supremacy? How are you doing? 😄😄😄

Ebubu:


Anambra supremacy gimmick is why I’ll never stop insulting those who display it.

I don’t tolerate f00ls.

Proudly Nwa Abakaliki .

Ebubu:
Hope Anambra people will mock Enugu people for having an airline like they mocked Ebonyi for establishing an airport for agricultural export ?



Anambra people are hate-fuls if the project is not from their state they poison it.

But if Lagos is floating an airline and building metro rails they will be jealous and wishing it was their region but if their region do it they backbite because it is not their state.


Solution is for Anambra to vote good governance so they won’t be poisoning and talking down on other good projects from other SE states.


Akwa Ibom also has airline.


The Ebonyi man ruling Enugu, well done. You’ve done Ezza people in Ebonyi State proud.

Ozommadu:


Oluwole you're doing more than you're paid to do...

Make your mental health no worst oo

Ebubu:
Hope Anambra people will mock Enugu people for having an airline like they mocked Ebonyi for establishing an airport for agricultural export ?



Anambra people are hate-fuls if the project is not from their state they poison it.

But if Lagos is floating an airline and building metro rails they will be jealous and wishing it was their region but if their region do it they backbite because it is not their state.


Solution is for Anambra to vote good governance so they won’t be poisoning and talking down on other good projects from other SE states.


Akwa Ibom also has airline.


The Ebonyi man ruling Enugu, well done. You’ve done Ezza people in Ebonyi State proud.

legitnow1:
AIR PEACE IS NUMBER 1.



ANY STATE CAN LAUNCH AIRLINE BUT NONE CAN DISPLACE AIR PEACE.



AIR PEACE IS A NIGERIA BRAND.

MXrep:

Mbah just dey talk big talk no action. Don't join Enugu with your backwards state. We from Enugu don't need white elephant projects

Ebubu:


Shake my head. Ebonyi is better than Enugu in terms of infrastructure you get mind call your useless state backward thinking it’s Ebonyi you’re referring to.

State with no water whereas Ebonyi has functional water board. State without roads whereas Ebonyi has best roads in Southern Nigeria after Akwa Ibom state.

igwebuike01:

We don't waste money on useless "infrastructure". Stop building useless flyovers where there is no reasonable traffic gridlock. Use the money and open up villages

Ebubu:
open up villages? As if the flyovers were not also built in Onueke village, Uburu village, Afikpo village, Ezzamgbo village, Abaomege village, Onicha village, and Effium village.


Flyovers are in all these villages I’ve mentioned and they are not Abakaliki city.

igwebuike01:

Villages don't need flyovers, they need motorable roads to their interior villages. They need good schools and hospitals. They need skill and means survival to defeat poverty. Flyovers is needed why there is traffic gridlock.