Anambra, Abia First Ladies Promote Home Farming, Gardening
Wife of the Anambra Governor, Dr Nonye Soludo, says home gardening remains a practical pathway to healthy living, food sufficiency and economic support for households, particularly in the face of rising food costs.
Similarly, the Wife of the Abia State governor, Mrs Priscilla Otti, on Thursday launched a fertiliser distribution programme for women farmers across the state.
Mrs. Soludo, in a statement on Friday in Awka, announced plans to distribute 5,000 packs of organic hybrid, non-genetically modified organism (non-GMO) seeds to residents.
She said the initiative was aimed at encouraging household gardening and subsistence farming during the rainy season.
“The initiative is to support passionate individuals interested in cultivating home gardens and improving food production across the state.
“Each seed pack contains carefully selected varieties of corn, green vegetables, cabbage, pepper, tomatoes and okra to help families grow healthy, organic food within their homes and communities,” she said.
The Governor’s wife urged residents to take advantage of the opportunity to embrace farming.
She expressed confidence that collective efforts would help build healthier homes, greener communities and a more food-secure Anambra
The Abia State programme was organised by the Governor’s wife in collaboration with the State Ministry of Agriculture, to support women farmers across the state.
Speaking during the official handover ceremony in Umuahia, Otti described the programme as part of efforts to boost food security and improve agricultural productivity.
She reaffirmed the commitment of the state government to supporting women farmers through practical agricultural interventions.
Otti acknowledged that the challenges faced by women farmers, including rising costs of farm inputs, limited access to resources, unpredictable weather conditions and the burden of combining farming with family responsibilities.
“I understand the realities many of you face; yet in spite of these challenges, you continue to plant, nurture and provide.
“That strength is extraordinary, and today we honour it,” she said.
Otti described the initiative as part of the administration’s broader commitment to empowering women and improving the welfare of rural communities through impactful governance.
She said that the intervention was not a one-time gesture but part of sustained efforts to create opportunities for women farmers to thrive.
“This intervention is part of a continuing promise to keep creating opportunities until the women who feed this state can also prosper from their labour,” Otti said.
The Governor’s wife encouraged youths to embrace agriculture, describing the sector as one driven by innovation, enterprise and wealth creation.
“For me, agriculture is not a symbol of hardship; it is a sector of opportunity, innovation, technology, enterprise and wealth creation.
“There is dignity in agriculture and there is a future in it,” she added.
In his speech, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Mr Christian Enweremadu, described the programme as another demonstration of the administration’s commitment to agricultural development, food security and economic empowerment.
Enweremadu said that women remained the backbone of food production and rural enterprises across communities in the state.
“This programme goes beyond the distribution of fertilisers; it represents hope, support and strategic investment in the productivity and prosperity of women farmers across Abia State,” he said.
In her address, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr Maureen Aghukwa, commended the initiative, noting that empowering women farmers would contribute significantly to stronger families, healthier communities and economic growth in the state.
