A non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Ndigbo Unity Forum, has appealed to South-East governors to revive agricultural plantations and farm estates built by the defunct Eastern Regional Government.

The chairman of the group, Augustine Chukwudum, made the appeal on Thursday during an interactive session with journalists in Enugu.

Mr Chukwudum said it had become imperative for the South-East governors to take advantage of the region’s huge agricultural potential to create jobs and secure the economic well-being of future generations.

He specifically called for the revival and significant investment in palm, cashew, breadfruit and plantain plantations established throughout the length and breadth of the region.

According to him, it is a negative narrative that the South-East, previously known for the production of palm oil and its other derivatives for export, cannot produce up to 20 per cent of local demand.

“We hear that National Agency For Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) recently raised an alarm over the prevalence of contaminated palm oil, especially the imported substitute, in the country.

“This is how bad the issue is presently concerning what was handed to us by our fathers and ancestors,” he said.

Mr Chukwudum said that when agriculture is fully optimalised through plantations and farm estates, “it has the potentials to create two million direct and indirect jobs with great export possibilities in the region.

“This will improve the economy of the region and per capita income of each person residing here,” he said.

He called on wealthy persons from the region to establish agro-allied industries or support farming cooperatives in order to add value to agricultural produce and commodities.

“By creating agro-allied industries, more jobs and economic opportunities will be provided for the benefit of all,” he said. 

(NAN)