By Chukwuka Ugokwe :
The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Foster Ihejiofor, says coconut and oil palm sub sector has huge economic potentials waiting to be harnessed for accelerated development of the state.
He added that government introduced the agricultural produce to insure the state against all forms of foreseeable and unforeseeable economic shocks already manifesting globally.
Speaking while monitoring the distribution exercise to Schools and Institutions at the Ministry’s Premises, he sub sector is very vital to the socio-economic transformation of the state.
“The decision to plant coconut and oil palm in our public institutions is to enable them become producers. What it means is that a lot of money will be coming to the schools with little or no additional effort.
“A hectare of coconut plantation is expected to generate N10million annually, because one hectare of coconut contains 200 trees of coconut. When you compute the economic impact, they will be getting some millions”
Highlighting other benefits of the produce to institutions and the state economy, he stated that it would not only help to beautify the schools, but also check erosion and keep the environment green in line with government’s vision.
He, then, urged Principals and Heads of Institutions to take the project very seriously and protect the seedlings from damage as government spent huge amount of money to procure them.
“So, it is a serious investment and by the time we are done, the state government will be generating Hundreds of Billions of Naira from coconut. And that will be enough to run the state”
Some of the Principals of benefitting schools, including Mrs Ifeadikanwa Okpala, Community Secondary school, Ichida, Joseph Nwalieji, Community Secondary school, Igbedo and Mrs Eziamaka Umennadi, Unubi High School, Unubi, commended the state government for initiating the programme.
While describing it as a wonderful development, they pledged to fully key into the mandate of helping the state harness potentials in coconut and oil palm economy.
The Principal, Community Secondary school, Iyiowa Odekpe, Ogbaru Local Government Area, Dr Amaka Nwokedi, vowed to overcome the challenge of flooding currently ravaging the area to plant and ensure survival of the seedlings.
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