Agribusiness: A Vital Component Driving Local Economic Development in Abia -By Joshua Ogbonna

On the second of January 2022, I casually walked into a meeting and was appointed the chairman of my community development union, barely at the age of 29. Contrary to the bye-law’s provision requiring a minimum age of 30, I was appointed in an interim capacity. Since then, I have earned a substantive position. From my corner at Amaokwe Amaba Isuikwato, I have gleaned vital lessons, one of which emphasizes that the holistic development of our country must begin with the cultivation of visionary leaders from the grassroots.

During my tenure, our administration has experienced a boost in revenue by 1300% in less than a year, attracting significant investments from our diaspora network. As evident from my introduction, at 29, I was entrusted with the arduous task of driving economic development in a community of over 3,000 individuals at home and abroad. This involved shifting our thematic approach from a socialist standpoint to a capitalist one.

Presently, we stand on the cusp of incorporating the community as a registered, corporate-affairs-recognized organization. This move will enable us to attract direct investment from government development-focused funds, multilateral development agencies, and other donor programs. While my experience spans development in all facets, we have identified agriculture as a low-hanging fruit for prospective future endeavors.

In a few days, Governor Otti’s administration will mark its first anniversary. While notable efforts have been made in revamping public utilities like intra-state road networks and improving the welfare of formal employees in the state, our dear Abia is in dire need of a full-scale emergency intervention in agriculture. This time, agriculture should not be treated merely as farming, which characterized the apathy towards former president, Gen. Buhari’s failed efforts to uplift food production. The concept of Agribusiness, often misunderstood as mere farming, failed to resonate with Gen. Buhari’s intervention program. Even when CBN-led policies by ex-governor Emefiele seemed promising, they struggled to gain traction beyond initial skepticism.

Before we digress from the main focus, it’s worth noting that the seventh chapter of Governor Otti’s 44-page campaign manifesto features agriculture less prominently. Disappointingly, agriculture received scant attention as a focal point of the development hinges of the Alex Otti administration. Admirably, as noted in the document, Governor Otti highlighted that “Agriculture, as practiced today, is unable to create jobs or lift people out of poverty. This is because most of our farmers are involved in subsistence farming. Mechanized farming is the way to go, but this will also not create jobs. It will, however, support economic growth and guarantee food security.”

From my observation, efforts to mechanize agriculture in Abia have been piecemeal, often left to community-driven donations. In many cases, intervention products have been poorly distributed and mostly ringfenced by party loyalists and civil servants, resulting in localized inefficiency in Abia.

This writer holds two schools of thought on the progressive underdevelopment of Abia. Both opinions suggest that the crisis of Abia’s leadership and the stasis of development in Abia weren’t solely dependent on the tunnel vision of the PDP/PPA in the state since 1999, but also the complicity of labor unions, the non-existent civil service as a institution, and the pauperization of local governments by previous administrations since Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu’s time. Regrettably, Gov. Kalu’s first term in office glossed over several cracks. By 2007, his failure to choose a visionary and vibrant successor, owing to his penchant for self-adulation, plunged Abia into an avoidable crisis. By 2015, Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu perceived Abia as a ragged hand-me-down. In keeping with his highfaluting and unprecedented Ngwa-only mission, he further decimated any meaningful gains we had recorded under previous civilian administrations.

While Governor Otti has signaled a departure from the past, skepticism looms regarding the extent of reforms he can initiate and embed within Abia’s limited tenure. His endeavors have garnered enough goodwill to secure a second term in office, largely because his efforts resonate with ndi Abia, who have long endured the lackluster performance of previous occupants of the government house.

This skepticism is further exacerbated by the lack of interest, progressive undereducation, and ruralization of civil service thinking, which should ideally drive the development he promised ndi Abia when seeking office. A visit to the local government area secretariats paints a grim picture. A job in the local government service is akin to a poverty alleviation program. Officially, the last recruitment exercise was in 2006/2007, before T.A. Orji assumed office. In a bid to garner votes while in EFCC custody, he rewarded civil servants with a Grade Level higher on assuming office. Since Governor Otti assumed office, salaries have been regular but fall short of what can be referred to as a living wage. This was evident when Mayor of Isuikwato Air Vice Marshall (Rtd) Chiwendu Onyeike attempted to enforce a be-at-your-duty-post order, only to be met with resistance from recalcitrant workers who retorted, “nna ayi ukwu anyi aduu eme otu ohu ngo”.

The nexus between the civil service and this discourse is worth exploring. It’s reasonable to assume that civil service reform is imperative in Abia to address topical issues. The sooner this is addressed in the Otti administration’s tenure, the more beneficial it will be for ndi Abia as a whole. Failure to do so is akin to self-sabotage. For this reform to be all-inclusive, it must recognize the role of several private sector participants across all sectors.

The 2024 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) by the partnered efforts of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) highlights Abia as a providential state. Abia, alongside Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, and Zamfara, is exempt from the list of highly probable flood risk areas for 2024. This presents an opportunity for Governor Otti, a seasoned banker and economist, trained to spot investable opportunities. It would be an indictment on his seasoned career not to lead the agricultural revolution in the state massively. Abia is blessed with good vegetation, often understated. Despite isolated cases of erosion, Abia’s soil drains properly into adjoining water bodies, aided by protective vegetative cover like dense vegetation, trees, shrubs, and ground cover plants. Additionally, natural buffer strips along water bodies further enhance Abia’s competitive advantage, laying a robust foundation for agribusiness development.

The true test of Prof. Monica Ironkwe’s competence as Commissioner for Agriculture will be her end-of-term performance. Firstly, the tide has since changed from agriculture to agribusiness. It’s a business that can provide enormous wealth and mitigate the growing scourge of “mkpuri mmiri” (Methamphetamine or by its street name Crystal Meth) addiction among a less motivated young populace. Perhaps, by empowering a select group of young individuals to seize this opportunity, they will become the epitome of agriculture’s potential to transform lives. I am not advocating for the poor approach of using agriculture as a mere skill acquisition program.

For starters, I would like to see serious young individuals approach it using artificial intelligence as an operative backup, akin to a local boy Mr. Winner Ndubuisi’s impeccable designs. This approach was ridiculed by the immediate past deputy governor, Ude Oko Chukwu. By localizing our approach towards this massive economic investment in agribusiness, we can drive tourism and achieve overall economic growth in the region while reducing urban migration and the allure of cities like Lagos and Abuja.

Granted, Aba’s manufacturing sector is innovating and adopting technology, but Abia’s potential extends beyond manufacturing. Aba’s innovation can catalyze the development of cottage industries, increase backward integration, and improve technology capture thresholds in post-processing, agricultural productivity, efficiency, and sustainability in Abia’s agribusiness sector.

We have open markets and can go beyond paying lip service to exploring export opportunities for Abia’s agricultural products, both regionally and internationally. I hope Gov. Otti is following the unprecedented rise of cocoa in the international market. Can’t our 10-year agricultural plan include making Abia a household name for cocoa derivatives? Cocoa cultivation offers shorter delivery times than other perennial crops and can start providing foreign exchange to the state before the end of Otti’s administration. A hectare of land can yield 1 tonne of Cocoa, with a tonne selling for over $10,000. This equals the salary of roughly 190 Grade level 12 local government staff in Abia. Why should we pay wages for unproductive staff?

From Lokpa, through Uturu, Amaba-Amorji (Umuimenyi), to Umunnato, Umuahia, and several swathes of untouched lands, posterity will not be kind to the Otti administration if it superficially addresses a risk factor like unemployment that can upend Abia’s economic progress when the solution is within reach. While the argument that development is phasic is plausible, it defies logic to say that we can’t prioritize other programs, like road construction, that garner heavy attention.

The Ikpeazu administration created a raucous band of thousands of Special Assistants who specialized in administering poverty to ndi Abia. It is commendable that judging by his appointments, normalcy has returned. The Otti administration will not tread that path (at least not initially). However, as a Deeper Lifer, let me recite a melodious line from the famous hymn by Fanny Crosby, “O Brother, Life’s Journey Begining,” to Governor Otti:
Remember—two paths are before thee,

And both thy attention invite;

But one leadeth on to destruction,

The other to joy and delight.

I will end this discourse as Luke the Apostle might. According to this first treatise on Alex, all that you have begun to do, and all that you need to do, I will write to re-evaluate your efforts and remind you of the promise of shared prosperity. Your Excellency, may your days be long, and may the Lord grant you His pristine wisdom.

Joshua Ogbonna, a researcher, community leader, and academic, resides in Amaba, Isuikwato.

Email: joshuakayceogbonna@gmail.com