As food security becomes a top priority across Nigeria, Abia State is stepping up with a bold plan: 8,500 hectares of land will be cultivated for wet season rice farming under its 2025 In-Growers Scheme.
The initiative, announced by Commissioner for Information Prince Okey Kanu, is part of Governor Alex Otti’s wider agricultural transformation agenda, which aims to make Abia a hub for rice production in the South-East.
“We’re not just planting rice,” said Kanu. “We’re investing in livelihoods, regional food resilience, and economic development for local farmers.”
The state has already verified over 500 hectares in Ndi-Okereke Abam alone, with more than 400 rice farmers officially registered in the area. In Owerinta, 150 hectares are currently under cultivation.
The project’s first phase will focus on rice belt communities in Abia North, including Bende, Mkpa, Ofeme, Ozuitem, Ndi-Okereke, and Ndi-Oji Abam. The state is mobilizing farmer cooperatives and offering structured support through its Ministry of Agriculture.
Prince Kanu also revealed that over 90% of participants in the Abia–CSS Farms agro-collaboration have reported strong progress in their ventures, suggesting that Abia’s investment in agriculture is already bearing fruit.
In a move to further professionalize its agricultural sector, the state has extended the deadline for Expressions of Interest to manage recovered plantations to May 15, 2025, seeking serious, seasoned investors rather than speculative players.
