Enugu Governor Lauds ATASP-1 for Transforming Agriculture, Empowering Rural Communities

By Salifu Faridat

Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has underscored the alignment between the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme (ATASP) – Phase one and the state government’s ambitious drive to revolutionize agriculture within the region.

Delivering his remarks through the Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Chief Nwabueze Ugwu, Governor Mbah articulated these sentiments during the opening of the ATASP-1 (Adani-Omor Zone) Steering Committee meeting in Enugu.

The governor extended his commendations to the ATASP-1 initiative, acknowledging its resounding success in ushering transformative changes to farmers in selected boundary communities within Anambra and Enugu states.

He urged the youth and women in these communities to fully embrace the program’s offerings, which encompass improved seedlings, effective pest control methods, and invaluable agricultural extension services.

Governor Mbah highlighted the significant impact of the ATASP-1 program in fostering modern agricultural enterprises in rural communities, thereby providing sustainable employment opportunities and engaging the youth and women in the Adani and Omor areas of Enugu and Anambra states.

He further noted the program’s pivotal role in quelling restiveness among rural youth by productively involving them in agricultural activities.

Governor Mbah affirmed the state government’s unwavering support for the ATASP-1 program and encouraged its expansion to reach a wider spectrum of rural individuals in need.

He emphasized the importance of extending the initiative’s beneficiary base.

Within the meeting, Dr. Romanus Egba, the Zonal Coordinator of ATASP-1 (Adani and Omor), elucidated the purpose of the gathering, which encompassed a comprehensive review of the program’s accomplishments within the zone during the first half of the year.

The meeting also sought to assess the achievements, challenges, and progress of other community development projects facilitated by ATASP-1, including the construction of rural infrastructure such as roads, schools, hospitals, and markets.

Egba further disclosed that the program had already substantially improved the socio-economic well-being of communities, spurred agricultural investment, and bolstered food security within the two states.

He shared ambitious plans to establish functional irrigation facilities, which would enable significant dry-season farming within participating communities.

The Transitional Committee Chairman of Ayamulum in Anambra state, Chief Livinus Onyenwe, echoed the positive outcomes of the program.

He acknowledged ATASP-1’s pivotal role in enhancing livelihoods, fostering increased engagement within rural communities, and catalyzing transformation in agricultural practices among the local population.

The ATASP-1 program has consistently demonstrated its unwavering commitment to advancing agriculture and empowering rural communities, in consonance with the transformational vision set by Enugu State for sustainable agricultural development.