Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has bagged the Best Governor in Nigeria Award as Nigeria Agribusiness and Agro-Industry Development Initiative (NAADI) ends it’s stakeholders training session organized by Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment.
The Award which recognised Udom Emmanuel as the most Agribusiness Supportive and promoting governor cited Governor Udom Emmanuel’s innumerable support to farmers as well as his agro based initiatives and programmes as the basis for the award.
Mr. Howard Usen, Zonal Coordinator of NAADI, South-South who presented the award said that there is nobody more deserving of the award than Governor Udom Emmanuel. Mr Usen added that; “NAADI had painstakingly followed the Agro-Industry developmental strides of Deacon Udom Emmanuel including visiting the project sites before conferring the award on him.”
“NAADI is very impressed with such projects as the fertilizer plant, the rice revolution, the cocoa renaissance, the coconut plantation and refinery, the rice mill, the tomatoes and cucumber farming, the Akwa Prime Hatchery in Uruan amongst others.”
On his part, the National Coordinator of NAADI, Mr Kwara Irimiya of the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, Abuja who led a delegation of Agro Stakeholders from Abuja said; “NAADI has never had it any better in terms of collaboration and profitable partnership. Deacon Udom Emmanuel through the Ministry of Investment, Commerce and Industry has given NAADI the support and motivation needed to thrive in the State. Akwa Ibom is the State with the best presence of NAADI which is why the number of farmers have skyrocketed in the State.”
However, Prince Ukpong Akpabio, Commissioner for Investment, Commerce and Industry who received the award on behalf of the governor thanked the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment and NAADI for the award to Governor Udom Emmanuel as Best Governor on Agro-Industry Development, noting that if they were not an organisation of integrity, they would have sold the award to any other governor willing to pay. The Investment, Commerce and Industry boss said that the award will encourage Udom Emmanuel to do more on Agro-Industry development.
Ukpong reiterated that; “Deacon Udom Emmanuel is very deserving of the award of Best Governor in Agribusiness and Agro-Industry development since his administration birth an agro revolution in the State. Prior to the Udom Emmanuel administration that apart from the fact that food commodities are expensive, they are not even found for purchase in the market.”
“It took strategic thinking and deliberate investment to achieve what we have achieved in Agribusiness in Akwa Ibom State today. I can tell you for instance that the Akwa Ibom State government did not import a single grain of rice last December. We ate what we grow.”
“We’re investing in coconut plantation and refined oil because it’s value in the market is even higher than the value of crude oil. These were neglected areas and it has taken the leadership of Deacon Udom Emmanuel to revitalise Agribusiness and Agro-Industry. We’re not relenting. More will be achieved in the second term of His Excellency.”
The event was largely attended with participation going beyond farmers and stakeholders to partner bodies like the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Key Stone Bank and NIRSAL. The highlight of the occasion was the lecture presentation by a renown agro technocrat, Mrs. Helen Akula who is NIRSAL’s Head of PMRO in Uyo. The stakeholders were treated to gala and dinner evening at Monty Suites at the instance of the Commissioner for Investment, Commerce and Industry.
– Endiong John
