Governor of Enugu state, Dr. Peter Mbah has applauded the Federal Government’s policy on food security , saying that agricultural insurance will boost productivity.
The Governor who spoke , Tuesday, 7Th October,2025, when he received in audience , the delegation of the Presidential Food System Coordinating Unit( PFSCU) who paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Government House, Enugu.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai, Governor Mbah explained that agricultural insurance will protect food, reduce looses, energy farmers and build farmers’ confidence to invest more.
He enumerated some of the agricultural programmes of the state government which included establishment of 260 farm estates , insurance of over 9000 famers, provision of farm implements, farm inputs, seedlings and numerous agricultural programmes among others
Pix: Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai
Speaking on the importance of the visit of the Presidential Food System Coordinating Unit team, Governor Mbah said, “For us in Enugu, the value of this visit and the programme the Presidential Food Security and Coordinating Unit is running is to first of all double down on the awareness you need for us to take agriculture seriously.
“Here in Enugu, what it does is to encourage us to continue to build on what we’ve already done because in Enugu State as you are aware, we are about one of the first states to set up land banks that open the agriculture of our commercial farmers”..
The Governor added that the stamp was taken because the land use system has consistently discouraged capital investment in agriculture.
“Of course, you and I agree that in absence of commercial and aggressive farming, our practise of family farms and rural farming practises would not actually provide guarantee of food security. But with our land bank system now, we know that a lot of communities are taking advantage of this investment in agriculture.
“Meaning that energising the fact that for those who are rural farmers, they are trying to protect food, which is the core of this policy. And why the Presidential Food Security system is going around. Quite frankly and in fairness to the President, if farmers have confidence that in the event of loss of any kind, that they are protected, the energy to constantly invest will be there and that’s what is happening now with this programme.
*So as they cascade it down to rural farmers, rural areas and local governments, it’s our hope that it will build the confidence of our farmers to add more energy to what they do. Knowing that those harvest losses, climate change related losses, even when there is some disaster that makes it impossible for yields to come as expected, they all are protected
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Architect Mrs. Safiya Umar ,who represented the Executive Secretary of the Presidential Food System Coordinating Unit in person of Ms. Marion Bonestell, told Governor Mbah that the Presidential Food System Coordinating Unit which was established in June 2024 and anchored in the Presidency, serves as a national coordinator for Nigeria’s food system.
According to her, their core mandate, is to reduce bottlenecks and construct proper initiatives and coordinates across all the ministries, departments, and agencies of the government and states, private sectors, and partners under the agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Highlighting some of federal government policies in Agriculture, the Executive secretary said: ‘We have the national agribusiness policy mechanism, which was launched in May 2023 to bring coherence to Nigeria’s agricultural planning and provide a national framework to align policies, resources, and interventions across federal and state levels. It is focused on data-driven planning and risk mitigation to make agriculture more predictable and profitable. Through partnership farmers are insured against climate and market shocks for four seasons.
“We have the Harvest food Caravan. a nationwide rollout to bring National Agribusiness, agribusiness policy mechanism, to practise, from policy to practise. Then we take PFSE mission directly to the grassroots engagement of farmers, leaders, and communities.
The team leader said the objectives of Harvest food Caravan include, to provide the New Globe agenda to foster a shared vision for food security and agricultural transformation, prioritisation, collaboration, synergy, and national ownership.Empowering communities and elevating voices to establish inclusive platforms for dialogue, ranging from town halls to fireside conversations where farmers, policymakers, civil society, and agribusiness co-create solutions rooted in local realities and life experiences. Enhancing the effectiveness of the inventions, strengthening government-led initiatives by aligning them with regional contexts and rewriting interventions that are evidence-based, responsive, and impactful, among others
“The Harvesting Hope Caravans anchored on three core pillars, building trust, strengthening the connection between governments and citizens by demonstrating responsiveness and accountability. Promoting inclusiveness, ensuring women, youth, and smallholder farmers have a meaningful voice in shaping interventions that affect them. Deepening engagement, translating dialogue into real economic participation, empowering communities to take ownership of solutions.
She intimated the governor on their programmes in Enugu which included official flag- off of the Harvesting Hope Caravan, visit to traditional rulers, workshop on good agricultural programme among others.
Pix: Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialization,Dr. Patrick Ubru
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialization,Dr Patrick Ubru, said the Enugu state government has done so much in Agriculture, distribution of farming inputs to real famers in rural communities. He added that they have the data of all the farmers in the state and they have covered about 9,523 farmers and the project will run for four seasons and more farmers will be brought in for insurance.
Speaking with newsmen, a renowned farmer in Enugu state, Sani Friday, thanked the state government for it’s interventions in agriculture. He said insurance is very important in agriculture, adding that insurance will help farmers protect their crops and give them courage to continue farming , knowing their crops are covered.
The delegation of Leadway insurance company, commended the federal government as well as Enugu state government for the agricultural insurance initiative.. They said food system needs protection , ” insure the farmers so that they can return to production”.
Pix: The Harvesting Hope Caravan vehicle.
Highlight of the event is the presentation of the Harvesting Hope Caravan flag and the vehicle driven by the Governor.
Author: Maureen Ikpeama