Enugu State’s push to reposition agriculture as a major engine of economic growth gained fresh momentum with a high-level inspection of the Amurri Farm Estate in Nkanu West Local Government Area, a flagship project under the state-wide Enugu Farm Estates programme aimed at large-scale job creation, food security, and agro-industrial expansion.
The working visit was led by the Executive Chairman of Nkanu West Local Government Council, Hon. John Chukwuma Ogbodo, alongside the Consultant to Enugu State on Farm Estates, Alhaji Sani Friday Nnaji, and the Managing Director of the Enugu State Marketing Company, Engr. Mike Ogbuekwe, who also serves as Special Adviser to Governor Peter Mbah on Agriculture.
Addressing stakeholders during the inspection, Hon. Ogbodo described the Amurri Farm Estate as a deliberate grassroots-oriented intervention that aligns with Governor Peter Mbah’s development agenda.
He noted that the project is designed to deliver inclusive growth by directly empowering rural communities through sustainable agricultural livelihoods.
“This project goes beyond farming. It is about creating sustainable livelihoods, empowering our people, and ensuring that development is felt directly at the community level,” Ogbodo said.
The council chairman further assured that the local government would continue to provide strong institutional support to guarantee the success of the farm estate. He emphasized that agriculture offers a practical and sustainable means of engaging young people productively, reducing unemployment, and curbing rural–urban migration by retaining economic opportunities within local communities.
Speaking on the broader policy framework, Engr. Ogbuekwe explained that the Enugu Farm Estates initiative is strategically structured to deliver large-scale employment across all 260 wards of the state. According to him, the programme targets the creation of 52,000 direct agro-based jobs and 156,000 indirect jobs, amounting to an estimated 208,000 employment opportunities spanning farming, processing, logistics, distribution, and marketing.
“When we grow what we eat, we strengthen our economy, reduce pressure on supply chains, and improve food availability. This programme is not only about food production but also about economic resilience and reducing youth unemployment across the state,” Ogbuekwe stated.
Also speaking, Alhaji Sani Friday Nnaji highlighted the programme’s agro-industrial focus, stressing that agriculture must be positioned to support manufacturing and value-chain development. He explained that crops such as cassava should be viewed as industrial raw materials with multiple applications beyond traditional consumption when properly pre-refined and preserved.
The visiting officials expressed confidence that the Amurri Farm Estate would serve as a benchmark for sustainable agricultural development in Enugu State. They noted that the initiative represents a long-term strategy to transform agriculture into a driver of job creation, food security, and industrial growth, in line with the economic vision of the Mbah administration.