By: Uzorigwe Gloria, Abakaliki.

The Government of Ebonyi State has On Friday 12th of December 2025 distribute dry season farming inputs. This was represented by the wife of the Governor of Chief Mrs Mary-maudline Uzoamaka Ogbonna Nwifuru.

The Governor commissioned the IFAD-VCDP Projects and also flagged off the 2025 Agricultural Equipment and Dry-Season Input Distribution at the State’s IFAD Office, Onuebonyi, Abakaliki.

The Governor strongly believes in Agriculture as a powerful driver of food security, economic growth, and sustainable rural development in the state. This is why His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru has consistently paid off counterpart funds to facilitate more progress in Agriculture. An investment in Ebonyi farmers is an investment in the future of the State.

“The commissioning of the 2024 projects and the flag-off of the 2025 equipment and dry-season input distribution represent another bold step in our journey towards food security and rural prosperity,” the first lady said.

Mrs Nwifuru highly commends the National coordinator IFAD / VCDP, Hajiya Dr. Fatima Kabiru Aliyu, the Hon commissioner of Agriculture, Princess Nkechinyere Iyioku, and the state coordinator, Mr Sunday Ituma, for their consistent and impactful partnership. It is worth noting that their interventions have continued to empower the rural communities, improve yields, and expand market opportunities for thousands of farmers across the state.

The National Coordinator, Dr Fatima Aliue, appreciated the Governor’s wife and said, By the way, other speakers’ speeches show that Ebonyi State Governor is doing great work in the state and the area of Agriculture.

Ebonyi is one of the best states that invested 2 billion in Agriculture last year. The Governor approved the request of IFAD programs in Ebonyi immediately without delay, and the achievement since then, 2023, has been over 664 Cassava processing and many more.

In Speaking, the Hon commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Nkechinyere Iyioku, commended the state Government for their Demonstration in improving agriculture, taking a bold step, and for opening many doors for farmers with all the support towards farming.

Iyioku commended that with the partnership, Agriculture has become special in our midst. This occasion is a solid movement to take farming to another level in the state.

Across the 13 LGA Agriculture has commissioner, Solar panel system to enable easier irrigation, ultramodern rice milling machine, cassava processing, mechanization and irrigation pumps, expansion of dry season farming with 20 irrigation, all this inputs are instored because Ebonyi State will be one of the best state to exports foods and products as it has been doing, but get its more productive, this is because the Governor has built much strength to farmers in the state the Commissioner said ”

The agriculture commissioner further stated that every intervention is aimed at ensuring that no farmer of Ebonyi state will remain poor, but rice. She then urged the beneficiaries of inputs to make use of the tools and add many more harvests to their farming.

She continued that farmers have every right to rise above all in the whole world. Dr Iyioku also made an appeal that only eight (8) LGAs have been benefiting in the program, pleaded that the National Coordinator of IFAD, Dr Fatima Aliue to take the request home for a grant.

Also, the state coordinator of IFAD-VCDP, Dr Sunday Ituma, said all the programs requested in 2024 are granted, commended the state Government, and described the Hon commissioner of Agriculture, Nkechinyere Iyiok, as one of the best commissioners in the state for giving Farmingthethe the best in the state.

One of the beneficiaries Mr Egba CHINEDU, showed gladness in him and said had been benefited from in IFAD-VCDP, said that the program provides a lot of farm tools and also constructed many bridges and many machines are instored for the benefits of the farmers in the various areas of the state, said the fa