Acting on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mandate on food security to cultivate 500,000 hectares of land, promote year-round farming, and encourage consumption of locally grown foods, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, South-South, Hon. Gift Johnbull, has flagged off “Project Earn from the soil” and domestication of the Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) Policy in Akwa Ibom state.

The agriculture initiative aims to directly benefit 500,000 smallholder farmers, fisherfolk, agribusinesses, and coastal communities in the South-South region, with indirect benefits to 1,000,000 household families.

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In her address, the SSA to the president on Community Engagement South-South, Hon. Gift Johnbull, while flagging off the project, revealed that the project will boost food security and create new generation of women agripreneurs, with the ultimate goal of making Akwa Ibom a leader in agricultural production not just in Nigeria, but across West Africa.

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“The empowerment of women is not just a goal but a responsibility,” she stated. “It is a responsibility that we must all share—government, private sector, civil society, and the community at large. By working together, we can create an environment where women are no longer just participants in the economy but leaders and innovators who drive growth and development.”

According to her, the WEE Policy, is a comprehensive blueprint aimed at transforming the lives of women in Akwa Ibom by enhancing their access to finance, agriculture, education, entrepreneurship, and leadership opportunities. The policy is expected to lay the foundation for sustainable, inclusive development across the state.

Over 32 cooperative have been registered free across 31 local governments of the state cutting across six values chain of agriculture. Some of the beneficiaries expressed gratitude to president Tinubu’s support to the state.

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The Senior Special Assistant also emphasized the importance of collaboration in achieving the objectives of the WEE Policy and the “Earn From The Soil” project. She urged all stakeholders to harness the power of the state’s land, resources, and people to create a thriving, equitable, and prosperous Akwa Ibom that aligns with President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda on food security.

The First Lady of Akwa Ibom state, Patience Umo Eno, represented by the Commissioner for women affairs, Akwa Ibom state, Dr. Ini Adiakpan, said that the project Earn from the soil aligns with the agenda of the state’s leadership, particularly the focus on agriculture.

“This project is in line with His Excellency’s agenda, which is centered on agriculture. We are confident that this endeavor will empower our women and drive the economic growth of our state,” she stated.

The Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Akwa Ibom State, Offiong Offor, in her goodwill massage, expressed the state government’s commitment to providing the necessary resources and support to ensure the project’s long-term sustainability.

She encouraged farmers, both women and men, to organize into cooperative groups.

Other representatives from Nexim, Zenith Bank, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), UN Women, and various other organizations committed to advancing the economic prospects of women in the state.