Enugu State Governor, Barr Peter Mbah of Enugu State says the Federal Government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme (ATASP – Phase one) resonates with the State government’s move to innovatively transform agriculture.
Mbah, who was represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Chief Nwabueze Ubru, said this at the opening of ATASP-1 (Adani-Omor Zone) Steering Committee Meeting in Enugu on Wednesday.
He said that the ATASP-1 programme had indeed brought transformation to the benefiting farmers in the selected boundary communities in the two States – Anambra and Enugu.
The Governor urged youths and women in the communities “to take advantage of the learning, improved seedlings, good pest control method and agricultural extension services within the programme.
“ATASP-1 is creating 21st century agricultural businesses in rural communities and providing sustainable employment and engagement of rural people, especially our youths and women in Adani axis of Enugu State and Omor axis of Anambra State”.
“It has led to reducing restiveness among youths in the rural areas and making them to be productively engaged,” he said.
Mbah assured that the State government would continue to give necessary support to the programme, adding that it should be expanded to involve more rural people as beneficiaries.
Speaking, the Zonal ATASP-1 (Adani and Omor) Co-ordinator, Dr Romanus Egba said that the purpose of the meeting was to review what ATASP-1 had done in the zone within the first half of the year and beyond.
Egba said the meeting would also x-ray the achievements and challenges of the programme in delivery of its other initiatives apart from farming, especially community/rural projects such as rural roads, schools, hospitals and markets.
According to him, the programme is already improving socio-economic wellbeing, increasing investment in agriculture and food security within the two States.
“We are striving to put up infrastructure for functional irrigational facilities for massive dry seasoning farming this year within the communities that are participating in the programme,” he said.
In a remark, the Transitional Committee Chairman of Ayamelum in Anambra, Mr Livinus Onyenwe said that the programme had enhanced livelihood and engagement in the rural communities, as well as transformed agricultural practices among the people.
“I appreciate ATASP-1 for the rural roads and bridges within the council area, as well as employment to hundreds of youths.
“I will also call for more involvement and investment of the participating State governments in terms of support and counterpart funding payment for the programme for it to flourish the more,” he said.
A participant, Mr Chinedu Nnadi, who represented the Executive Chairman of Udenu LGA, Chief Solomon Onah, appreciated the ATAS-1 co-funding institutions for being consistent towards the development of rural communities and the rural people in general.