Federal and Enugu governments pledge to boost food security through agro‑industrialisation

Federal and Enugu governments reaffirm agro‑industrialisation goals

On 6 November 2026, the Federal Government and the Enugu State Government announced a renewed commitment to turn agriculture into a commercially driven, agro‑industrialised sector. Speaking at the 48th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Food Security, held at the Hotel Presidential in Enugu, the official delivered these remarks. Gathering 36 state commissioners, representatives from the Federal Capital Territory, development partners, and other key stakeholders, the session focused on the theme of enhancing agricultural value chains, agro-industrialization, and market access to drive economic growth.

Background

The meeting was chaired by Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State and Senator Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security. Governor Mbah highlighted Enugu’s ambition to grow its economy from about $4.4 billion to $30 billion by 2031, positioning agriculture as a key driver. He noted that more than 60 000 farmers had benefited from support programmes and 84 000 had been entered into a digital registry to improve intervention distribution.

In an effort to achieve greater scale, the state is rolling out the 260 Farm Estates Programme, designed to create structured agricultural production centers in every one of its 260 wards. An Agricultural Land Bank has secured roughly 187 000 hectares through partnerships with communities, and a partnership with Nortra Tractors has supplied 107 tractors to support mechanisation.

Regarding agro-industrialization, Mbah highlighted the growth of Enugu United Palm Products Limited to 6,917 hectares, which has generated more than 3,500 jobs, along with the revitalization of Enugu Songhai Farms in collaboration with Tribu Limited as a 10,000-hectare agro-industrial center.

Why it matters

The joint declaration indicates a unified push to fortify agricultural value chains, raise productivity, and broaden market reach, with the explicit goal of enhancing food security, generating employment, and spurring economic expansion. These projects require substantial capital for land, equipment, and infrastructure, and are projected to offer job prospects for farmers, cooperatives, agribusiness entities, and young entrepreneurs.

What happens next

The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation of the shared policy objective, but no specific dates or further decisions were announced in the available reports. The governments will continue to pursue the outlined programmes and partnerships to achieve the stated economic targets.