From abandoned farm settlements to value-added exports — Abia wants more than raw crops, Governor Alex Otti has declared.
Speaking in Nvosi during a visit by the Anambra–Imo River Basin Development Authority (AIRBDA), Otti said his administration is reclaiming idle farm settlements and shifting the state from subsistence farming to full-scale agro-processing. “We don’t just want to sell cocoa; we want to sell chocolate,” he said.
The governor linked the plan to improved infrastructure, noting that nine of Abia’s 17 LGAs now enjoy steady power, driving economic activity in Aba and Umuahia, with expansion plans underway. A joint technical committee will also be set up to fast-track investment and collaboration with AIRBDA.
AIRBDA Chairman, Sen. Emmanuel Anosike, said over 1,300 hectares of abandoned rice, cassava and fish farms across the South-East are ready for revival, adding that renewable energy — especially solar — will power modern agriculture.
With farms back to life and energy to match, Abia is positioning itself as a regional agro hub.
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