One of the real difficulties that Nigeria is facing as a country is its failure to sustain its overflowing populace. This is regardless of its huge arable land for agribusiness and favourable climate all seasons. For sure, it is a mystery that nations that once in a while have downpours and those in total deserts have some way or another figured out how to overcome hunger by exploiting innovations while Nigeria is as yet battling regardless of its advantages in this area.

It is therefore seemingly impossible to ignore any leader that takes the bull by the horn by organizing agribusiness with the focus of having beneficial outcomes both on the general population and the nation at large. The fortunate thing about Nigeria is that our leaders don't need to battle to cut down rain as it is done in a few sections of the world or to wet the land as the rain is constantly here. Neither do they need to depend on any conceptual innovation to make the land rich, nature has generous favoured that area.

For this reason, the endeavours of the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel especially in the agricultural sector can't be overlooked. What the state has accomplished over the most recent three years ought to be an example for any leader that is covetous of increasing the pay base of their states. From the start, the governor proclaimed a state of emergency in the agricultural sector, targeting food sufficiency, welfare of the people, export and economic development of the state.

When Emmanuel was sworn in as the governor of the state in 2015, he made certain promises. Specifically, he believes the state is blessed with abundant natural resources, fertile and good climate that can make it possible for it to produce sufficient food to feed its teeming population and provide a sustainable raw materials base for her burgeoning industries. Fortunately, Akwa Ibom State is blessed with arable land and favourable climate that supports all-year-round cultivation and extraction of agricultural and forest products such as palm produce, rubber, cocoa, rice, cassava, yam, plantain, banana, maize, and timber.

In three years, the administration has developed 11,000 hectares of coconut plantation; 2,100 hectares of cassava plantation in 15 LGAs; registered 48,000 rice farmers for the CBN anchor borrowers’ scheme and trained 450 youths on cocoa maintenance. The state has gone further to establish Special Cocoa Maintenance Scheme, SCMS, to train farmers and youths on pruning/shade management, under brushing, and tree care by fumigation, in order to ensure the improved yields from 300 kg/hectare to 2, 000kg/hectare. Also, the state has distributed 500,000 improved cocoa seedlings to farmers at a highly subsidised rate across the 28 cocoa producing local government areas in the state. Right now, the state hatchery known as the Akwa Prime Hatchery hatches 10,000 day old cheeks per week. This is aside the free distribution of improved corn seedlings to farmers.

In addition to this, the state has invested in the construction of Vegetable Green Houses and cattle ranch, cultivated over 1,200 hectares of rice farmlands and constructed 33 micro cassava processing mills. Realising the importance of training in the sustenance of laudable projects such as the one being championed in the state’s agric sector, the state has trained 300 youths under the graduate Unemployment Youth Scheme. This is also solving the unemployment rate in the state as each of the graduates is given N1m to embark on any agricultural enterprise. Knowing the importance of the use of modern technology and equipment in the 21st century farming, the state constructed a Tractor Hiring Enterprise Centre.

It has also refurbished the Cassava Processing factories at Ikot Okudom in Eket LGA, Nung Udoe; Ibeskpo/Asutan LGA and Ikot Ekang in Abak LGA and leased two private operators for the production of high quality garri, odourless fufu and cassava flour.

According to available records, the state has so far procured 600,000 bags of fertiliser for farmers in the state and distributed 500 citrus seedlings, 600 hybrids plantain suckers and 1,000 pineapple suckers for farmers. The people of Akwa Ibom could easily testify to the crash in the price of garri since the investment in the agric sector took off. Many of them are of the view that the price has dropped to a third of what it used to be three years ago. This is instructive. It doesn’t take rocket science for any smart leader to make positive impacts on the people. All it takes is to understand the problem, identify workable solution and be committed to solving the problem. If any leader is doing the right thing, it will perforate to the populace in no time.

The state government has gone ahead to establish a large hybrid rubber nursery at Ebighi Anwa, Okobo LGA in partnership with the Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria for distribution to rubber farmers at highly subsidised rates. The government is also encouraging the establishment of demonstration plots on various agricultural technologies for transfer of improved technologies to farmers through the Akwa Ibom Agricultural Development Programme. Through the foresight of the governor, the state government has built at least three model villages for production, processing and packaging of Vitamin A products even as the state partners with the World Bamboo Organisation for bamboo development in the state.

There is hardly any area in the agric sector that the state is not focusing on and there is also hardly any local government area that is not being touched. That is also a demonstration of commitment to even development across the state. The state has procured and distributed 30,000hybrid plantain suckers to 348 farmers, installed maize preservation and shelling machine in Nung Ndoe; another pioneer multiplication sites developed in Nsit Atai; while 35 boreholes have been constructed as part of infrastructural benefits of FADAMA at Sawah Rice Production, Nnung Obong; agricultural Equipment Hiring Enterprise.

Diverse crops are now cultivated in different places in Akwa Ibom State today ranging from cassava plantation in Ibeskpo to cucumber vegetable across other local governments of the state. The lesson from all of these is that a lot can be accomplished when there is a will and commitment to making a difference in any particular sector by any leader. The governor has not left anyone in doubt of his commitment to making good his promise of transforming the economy of Akwa Ibom State via industrialisation and sustained public-private sector initiative thereby opening up opportunities for growth and improved living standards.

Thinking back these most recent three years, he has accomplished what he guaranteed particularly in the agrarian division. Governor Emmanuel has made a striking move to anchor the fate of Akwa Ibom State through farming in the occasion that oil stops to yield as much income as it does today. Through his strategy in farming, his administration is making sustenance security, mechanical centers and huge openings for work for the general population of Akwa Ibom. The state is being changed from one that is vigorously reliant on government allotments to one that produces income and gains outside trade through farming.

From all signs, it is evident that Akwa Ibom State overall has profited from Emmanuel's choice to put resources into the agricultural sector.