Abia govt flags off wet season rice farming, commences refinery construction

In a strategic move to boost the food security agenda of the state, the Abia State Government, ABSG has concluded plans to flag off its Wet Season Rice Farming Programme through its In-Growers Scheme in the state, even as it will commence construction of its modular refinery in May.

Addressing the press in Umuahia Monday after the State Executive Council meeting, and presided over by Governor Alex Otti, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu said that the flag-off of the rice farming would be done through the state Ministry of Agriculture, explaining, “Under this initiative, the Ministry will be aggregating farmers cooperatives across different crop value chains and will commence with rice in a target of 8,500 hectares of land at different communities in the rice belts of the state. This is mainly in Abia North zone of the state.

“For this flag off, there are over 400 genuine and authenticated rice farmers at Ndi-Okereke Abam, farming on over 500 hectares of land that have been verified. There is also cultivation of rice on an additional 150 hectares of land at Owerinta. Recall that before now, you were informed that the State government through the Ministry of Agriculture had commenced planting of rice in that part of the state”.

Prince Kanu maintained that the move would be replicated at other state-owned rice farmlands at Bende, Mkpa, Ofeme, Ozuitem, Ndi Okereke, and Ndi-Oji Abam. He further noted that the beneficiaries of the Abia State and CSS Farms strategic agro-collaboration program are progressing very well with their chosen projects, stating “So far, over 90 percent success rate has been recorded by the beneficiaries”.

Still on agriculture, the Commissioner informed that the deadline for the invitation for expression of interest on the state’s recovered plantations has been extended to the 15th of May 2025 to allow more investors to participate in the exercise, adding that there was a need for more entries to ensure a more robust evaluation process to bring in new and more credible investors and managers on board, adding that there is a need for the State to migrate forward.

“There is a need for the state to move forward. Hitherto, there was a practice where it was an all-comers affair. Now they are going out for seasoned and very serious investors that will invest in these agricultural assets of the state”, he said.

On the construction of the state modular refinery, Kanu said the state Government has made progress in the Abia Industrial and Innovative Park project as construction of the modular refinery will commence fully during this second quarter of the year, pointing out, “The State government is making steady progress on the AIIP project and to this effect, the payment of compensation to all affected landowners has been completed. Bush clearing and earthworks around the project site have commenced, especially around the modular refinery site.

“Construction for the modular refinery will commence fully during the second quarter of the year and that’s, as we enter the month of May. This of course is as a result of the approval granted to HSI- by the Federal Government to build and operate the 10,000 barrels per day capacity modular refinery at that AIIP site”.

He also informed that in a bid to ensure steady supply of petroleum products in the state particularly now that the Osisioma depot is operational, the state government has engaged the NNPC Port Harcourt refinery and NNPC Retails Management to ensure that Abia state gets sufficient and regular allocation of petroleum products.

He said that the state government through the state Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources recently commissioned a statewide study on solid minerals across the state with a view to determining the quantities and commercial viability of the mineral deposits that dot the landscape of the state, listing the minerals to include amongst others, limestone, kaolin, lignite, granite, lead, and zinc.

“By the time the results of the study come in fully, the State Government will be in a position to determine what or which amongst the mineral resources to actually go for and apparently allow interested investors to come in and mine”, he said.

He further informed that the State will be participating in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change holding in Bonn Germany soon, and noted that “The state government’s participation in this global conference underscores the government’s commitment towards climate change adaptation and green energy.

“This conference will enable the State to ramp up its adaptation and mitigation efforts as the state puts together a technical dossier on climate change integrated responsibility”.

The state information boss further said that the earlier date for the commencement of the enforcement of registration by all commercial vehicles in the state has been shifted from May to June due to the fact that the state government wants to give more vehicle owners some more time to get their vehicles registered so they can participate fully in this exercise.

On road infrastructure, he said that work is ongoing at 36 locations under the Direct Labour Rehabilitation and Reconstruction activities, while under the road projects on contract, work is ongoing at 31 sites with all the contractors on site.

He noted that three other road projects were commenced recently, including, the construction of the Bende-Idima-Abam Road, construction of the Ariaria-Timber Market Road in Aba, and the dualization of the Obuaku-Industrial City Road in the Ukwa West Local Government Area.