The South East Development Commission (SEDC) is set to launch a regional agromechanisation programme aimed at increasing agricultural productivity, creating jobs and attracting investment across the five South East states.
The Commission said it would establish three agromechanisation projects in each of the three senatorial zones of Enugu, Abia, Imo, Anambra and Ebonyi, in partnership with the respective state governments.
The initiative will begin in Enugu State, with the pilot project located in Nomeh, Nkanu East Local Government Area.
Speaking during a community engagement on the proposed project, the Executive Director of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development at SEDC, Dr Clifford Ogbede, said the initiative was designed to make agriculture more productive and attractive to young people.
Represented by his Technical Adviser, Dr Chris Uwadoka, Ogbede said the projects would create direct and indirect employment opportunities while attracting local and foreign investors to the region.
He said the Commission was looking to rebuild the South East’s agricultural economy by introducing improved farming methods, mechanisation, better seeds and technical expertise.
“We could all recall that the Eastern Region economy was at a point rated as the fastest growing economy in the world. And at the root of it was agriculture,” he said.
According to him, the SEDC developed its agricultural blueprint to restore the region’s productive capacity and create opportunities for young people and entrepreneurs.
In Enugu, additional agromechanisation projects will be located at Elugwu Akwu in Oji River Local Government Area and Nkpologwu in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area.
Ogbede said the programme would bring agricultural specialists, agro-entrepreneurs, improved seeds and modern farming knowledge closer to local farmers.
He also identified youth employment as a major objective of the initiative, noting that many young people had moved away from agriculture because of its labour-intensive nature and low productivity.
The project is expected to support the emergence of agricultural enterprises that can create employment while providing farmers with markets and opportunities to increase their incomes.
The Enugu State Liaison Officer to SEDC, Edeani M. Edeani, said the agromechanisation programme could also contribute to reducing insecurity by creating productive opportunities for young people.
He said large-scale agricultural projects would help ensure that land and other resources were put to productive use while providing employment.
A community leader and Senior Special Assistant to the Enugu State Governor on Media, Uche Anichukwu, commended the Federal Government and SEDC for selecting Nomeh for the pilot project.
He said the project could revive the community’s agricultural and commercial activities, which declined significantly after the civil war.
The traditional ruler of Nomeh Unateze, Igwe Israel Okonkwo Mbah, represented by his traditional prime minister, Chief Daniel Anikpuma, also welcomed the initiative, describing it as an opportunity to restore the community’s agricultural economy.
SEDC said the broader programme would serve as a platform for agricultural production, mechanisation, job creation, entrepreneurship and investment, with the goal of supporting economic growth across the South East.