SEDC Flags Off 200-Hectare Integrated Model Farm in Enugu
The South East Development Commission (SEDC) has officially
flagged off its South East Agro-Development Programme with the commencement of a
200-hectare integrated model farm at Nomeh Unataeze, Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The pilot project, implemented in partnership with the Enugu State Government, is designed to strengthen agricultural productivity, expand food production, create job opportunities, improve livelihoods, develope agricultural skills and demonstrate a replicable model for modern agriculture across the South East.
The flag-off, witnessed by the Governor of Enugu State,Peter Mbah represented by the Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai, Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh; Chairman of the South East Development Commission, Emeka Wogu, Managing Director/CEO of SEDC, Mark Okoye, traditional and community leaders and other stakeholders, marks a significant transition from programme planning to physical implementation by the Commission.
Speaking on behalf of the Federal Government, the Honourable Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, said the project reflects the type of productive regional development that the Federal Government seeks to promote. “Today is significant because it represents something bigger than the commencement of an agricultural project. It represents the kind of development the Federal Government is seeking to promote across Nigeria: development that is productive, inclusive, regionally balanced and
capable of creating opportunities for our people.”
The Minister stressed that food security requires a complete agricultural ecosystem rather than simply increasing the amount of land under cultivation.
“The objective is not simply to produce more food. We must build an agricultural system that is productive, resilient and capable of creating value across the entire chain. We must produce. We must process. We must create markets. We must reduce post-harvest losses. We must improve productivity and incomes. And we must create opportunities for young Nigerians to participate meaningfully in modern agriculture.”
Also, the Deputy Governor of Enugu State described the project as an important example of what strategic collaboration between the state and the Commission can achieve, particularly at a time when food production and economic diversification have become increasingly important.
“The development of this agricultural facility in Nomeh demonstrates what is possible when government institutions work together around a clear development objective.
“Enugu State is committed to creating the conditions for productive investment, and we are pleased to partner with SEDC on a project that will not only produce food, but also create jobs, develop skills, support farmers and strengthen the agricultural value chain.
“We believe this project can become an important part of the economic development of Nkanu East, Enugu State and the entire South East region within the context of Nigeria.”
The project is part of SEDC’s broader agro-development and mechanisation strategy, which seeks to use agriculture not merely as a subsistence activity, but as a platform for food security, enterprise development, employment, skills acquisition and regional economic growth.
Unlike a conventional farm focused on a single agricultural enterprise, the Nomeh project is developed as an integrated agricultural facility bringing together fodder production, dairy, poultry, fisheries, greenhouse production, processing, mechanisation, renewable energy and practical agricultural training within one coordinated system.
The concept is deliberately integrated. Fodder production will support the livestock enterprise,.while manure and poultry litter can support energy generation and soil fertility. Surplus fodder can be converted into silage for use on the farm and supplied to participating farmers. Shared feed, water, machinery, processing and other support systems are designed to serve multiple agricultural enterprises from the same site.
The model provides for a 200-head dairy herd, poultry production of up to 20,000 birds per cycle, fisheries infrastructure, extensive fodder cultivation and silage production, alongside processing and demonstration facilities.
The objective is to demonstrate how different components of the agricultural value chain can work together to create a more productive and sustainable system.
Managing Director/CEO of SEDC, Mark Okoye explained that the project was deliberately designed as a development project to redefine how the region approaches agriculture.
“The South East Agro-Development Programme is about building productive capacity of the region. We want to demonstrate what agriculture can look like when land, technology, mechanisation, production, processing, training and markets are brought together in one system.”
Okoye said the project would ultimately be measured by its impact beyond the physical boundaries of the 200-hectare site. “The real impact is what happens around the farm and beyond the farm. It is the young person who acquires a practical skill here and starts a farm elsewhere, the farmer who supplies maize or soya to the feed mill, the dairy farmer who gets technical support and access to a reliable market, and the smallholder farmer who is able to increase production because the ecosystem around them has improved.”
On his part, Chairman of the South East Development Commission, Emeka Wogu said the project represents an important step in translating the Commission’s regional development mandate into interventions that can have practical and measurable impact.Wogu added that the Commission would continue to work with state governments and other
stakeholders to ensure that its interventions complement existing development efforts.
“Regional development requires partnership. The Commission cannot and should not work in isolation from the state governments, communities, the private sector and development
partners. Our responsibility is to create platforms that connect these stakeholders around opportunities that can generate sustainable economic value for the people of the South East.”
“The Nomeh project is therefore not intended to remain an isolated agricultural facility in Enugu
State. According to SEDC, it will serve as a pilot and practical template for the Commission’s wider agricultural and agro-mechanisation interventions across the five states of the South
East,” he said.
