Newly elected chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) Imo state chapter, Mrs Ijeoma Nwachukwu on Thursday June 11, 2026 spoke extensively on the agricultural potentials in Imo state, signposting one of her key visions of turning the agricultural fortunes around in the eastern heartland.
Mrs Nwachukwu spoke at the just concluded technical workshop on business-enabling reforms and investment competitiveness organized by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) held at Golden Vista Hotel, New Owerri.
The brand new Imo AFAN chairman noted that Imo state is actually known for fresh palm oil production with ADAPALM Oil Limited at Ohaji leading the pack as well as enviable Livestock concentration at Acharaubo Farm Emekuku alongside various private farms owned by individual farmers who are members of AFAN Imo state.
She said that what the government needed to to do for Imo farmers to enhance productivity was support by way of inputs, access to finance, tax exemption and farmer-friendly market regulations.
She commended Gov. Hope Uzodimma for providing good access roads across the state, pointing out that farmers now easily move their produce and products to the city markets for target sales and profits.
Also speaking at the high profile event, the Secretary of AFAN Imo state, Sir Chidi Emeagi called for agricultural policies that target to showcase Imo state as number one in one or two agro areas either by produce or product such that investors would always come to the state with the intention of investing in those visible and viable areas.
Emeagi lamented that the rice belts in Imo state are shadows of their own, regretting that there is no single functional rice mill in the state. He urged the government and private investors to be deliberate in agro investments aimed at ensuring food security for Imolites and also for export.
Out going chairman of AFAN Imo state, Dr Ayo Enwerem who was equally at the event showered praises on Governor Hope Uzodimma for his aggressive road revolution projects, adding that farmers were indeed happy with him in that aspect, he however urged that more roads in the rural areas be considered.
Dr Enwerem equally lauded the state’s helmsman for the Orashi electricity initiative that had already started providing 24 hour power supply for some areas in Owerri metropolis, expressing hope that the energy project when fully realized would certainly ensure steady power supply in the state which he said would boost agricultural activities as well as other investments in the state.
Imo State Deputy Governor, Lady Dr Chinyere Ekomaru who represented Gov. Hope Uzodimma at the function while declaring the workshop open announced that the state under the administration of Senator Hope Uzodimma was irrevocably committed to repositioning every sector to make them attractive to local and foreign investors.
According to Lady Ekomaru, land acquisition, business registration and tax payment system digitization among others were all conscious efforts geared towards enhancing the ease of doing business in Imo state under 3R administration of Gov Hope Uzodimma.
The two day stakeholders engagement was coordinated by the Director General Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu and her team.
Imo State government team at the insightful engagement was led by the Commissioner for Finance and Coordinating Economy, Mr Chuck Chuckuemeka.
The PEBEC DG had told participants and the government team that for any state to do well in ease of doing business ranking, it must be investment friendly in all facets.
Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu explained that issues of multiple taxation, insecurity, lack of digitized systems particularly in land acquisitions, unnecessary bureaucracies and unwillingness of government agencies to collaborate in meeting investors’ needs remain key factors that place states on the downward curve side in the ease of doing business ranking.
Serving Commissioners, Permanent secretaries, heads of MDAs, business owners, trade unions and civil society organisations attended the stakeholders engagement.
All the newly elected Exco members of AFAN in Imo state including the state Deputy Chairman, Engr Lordis Mbamara and treasurer Lolo Esther Onyeji as well as large number of AFAN members from various local government areas accompanied the state chairman of AFAN, Mrs Ijeoma Nwachukwu to the all important sub-national stakeholders engagement.
