Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State says Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme (ATASP – Phase one) resonate with the state government move to innovatively transform agriculture in the state.
Mbah, who was represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Chief Nwabueze Ugwu, 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 States.
According to him, I urge 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 reduce restiveness among youths in the rural areas and making them to be productively engaged,” he said.
The governor 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 that the meeting would also x-ray the achievements and challenges of the programme in delivery its other initiatives apart from the farming especially community/rural projects such as rural roads, schools, hospitals and markets.
According to him, the programme is already improving the socio-economic wellbeing, increase investment in agriculture and improved 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.
The Transitional Committee Chairman of Ayamulum in Anambra, Chief 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, urged the various governments to continue to push the programme as well as making a concrete awareness to ensure “the people own the programme whole-heartedly”.
Nnadi, who represented the Executive Chairman of Udenu LGA, Chief Solomon Onah, appreciated the ATAS-1 co-funding institutions for being constant and seeing to the development of rural communities and the rural people in general.