Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has handed over the management of the state-owned Ibom Model Farm (IMF) in Uyo Senatorial District to the state university.
He said plans were afoot to establish two other mega farms to serve the remaining two geopolitical zones – Ikot Ekpene and Eket.
LEADERSHIP recalls that the governor had announced his administration’s policy of floating any business under a government/private-sector partnership arrangement, noting that several industries built under the immediate past administrations failed because the government had no business doing so.
During the ceremony over the weekend, Governor Eno explained that the handover of the farm was in line with his commitment to sustaining the venture through effective management to boost food security and agrotourism.
The governor, who spoke during an inspection of the facility, explained that the government was at an advanced stage of providing infrastructure for the farm to commence operations.
He said the State Ministry of Agriculture would provide only supervisory oversight.
“We began this project by providing the farmhouse. The farm is now going to be managed by Akwa Ibom State University, and the Ministry of Agriculture will perform the supervisory role,” Eno said.
He described the farm as more than an agricultural production centre, adding that it had been designed to offer recreational and tourism opportunities alongside food production.
“You can see the ambience of the farm. This is what we expected. People should be able to come here and relax. This is agritourism. Apart from food, there are things that will be happening here,” he stated, adding that the initiative was inspired by the Songhai Farm model expected to serve as the template for similar agricultural projects planned to be established across the three senatorial districts of the State.
He noted that, though modelled after the Songhai Farm, the state university has what it takes to manage the farm, and urged the university’s Vice Chancellor (VC) and the faculty of agriculture’s professionals to be engaged to live up to expectations.
The governor disclosed that additional model farms were being planned for Ini local government area to serve Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District and Eastern Obolo LGA, for Eket Senatorial District.
The commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Offiong Offor, said the vision for the Ibom Model Farm extends beyond food production to include human capacity development and agrotourism.
“The objective beyond food security has been to develop human capacity and also serve as a tool for agrotourism. It is going to be everything His Excellency expected it to be,” she said.
The vice chancellor of Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU), Prof. Otoabasi Akpan, assured the governor that the institution possesses the technical expertise to manage the facility and to make it a benchmark for modern agricultural practice.
