By Oyem Jonathan
The Executive Chairman of Aniocha South Local Government Council, Hon. Pastor Jude Chukwunwike, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening agriculture as a strategic pathway to food security, economic diversification, rural prosperity and sustainable livelihoods through the distribution of improved oil palm and coconut seedlings to selected farmers across the local government.
The distribution, which took place during the 2026 Tree Crop Empowerment Programme at the Chairman’s Lodge, Ogwashi Uku, underscores the council’s deliberate investment in agriculture as a critical pillar of the Chukwunwike administration’s Consolidatory Agenda.
Represented by the Secretary to the Local Government, Hon. Prince Tony K Ebube , the Executive Chairman urged beneficiaries to make productive use of the improved seedlings, stressing that agriculture remains one of the most viable sectors for creating wealth, generating employment and guaranteeing food security.
He noted that Nigeria’s economic future will be better secured through renewed investment in agriculture, particularly in tree crops that provide long term economic value for farming families and contribute significantly to agro industrial development.
According to him, Aniocha South is richly endowed with vast expanses of fertile arable land, making the council naturally positioned to become a major hub for commercial agriculture and agro based investments.
Hon. Chukwunwike explained that the tree crop distribution is a continuation of his administration’s consistent support for farmers. He recalled that in 2025, the council empowered over one hundred farmers with cash grants of ₦100,000 each alongside farm implements to boost agricultural productivity, while another batch of farmers also benefited from subsequent grant programmes aimed at expanding farming activities across the local government.
He emphasized that the current intervention reflects a deliberate shift from short term agricultural support to long term investment in perennial cash crops capable of creating sustainable income for rural households. He described oil palm and coconut as strategic economic crops with enormous value chains in food processing, manufacturing, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and export markets.
The council chairman encouraged beneficiaries to embrace the opportunity by cultivating the seedlings diligently, describing the initiative as a practical contribution to Delta State Government’s economic diversification drive and its efforts to attract private investment into the agricultural sector.
He further assured farmers that his administration would continue to initiate programmes that improve agricultural production, empower rural communities and strengthen the local economy through increased food production and agribusiness development.
The initiative is expected to stimulate local economic growth by increasing the production of palm oil and coconut products, creating employment opportunities along the agricultural value chain, encouraging youth participation in farming, improving household incomes and expanding the internally generated revenue potential of the council through a more vibrant agricultural economy.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, the Palace Secretary of Ogwashi Uku Kingdom, Prince Jude Ifeaka Emordi, expressed profound appreciation to the Executive Chairman for his unwavering commitment to agricultural development and the welfare of farmers.
He described the intervention as timely and impactful, assuring that the beneficiaries would justify the confidence reposed in them by cultivating the seedlings and contributing meaningfully to increased production of palm oil and coconut in Aniocha South.
The 2026 Tree Crop Empowerment Programme further reinforces the Chukwunwike administration’s belief that sustainable agricultural empowerment remains one of the most effective strategies for reducing poverty, promoting food sufficiency, creating rural wealth and positioning Aniocha South as a leading agricultural economy in Delta State.
