Calabar, the Capital City of Cross River State on Wednesday buzzed up with economic activities as agriculturists and business development professionals convened a conference on the Agricultural value chain, targeting more revenue from agribusiness and agricultural investment.
The event, which was held in commemoration of MSME Week 2024, underscored the importance of agriculture for economic prosperity as the Stats Government declared that the event was organised to further tap and exploit the economic potentials of the State.
BusinessDay reports that diplomats, technocrats and experts from Government and Private Sectors shared their knowledge, offering participants valuable insights into the agricultural value chain and its potential benefits.
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Great Ogban, the Director General of MEDA, Microfinance and Enterprises Development Agent (MEDA), the State-owned Agency, emphasized the Agency’s commitment to supporting small businesses in the State. He announced the July 1st relaunch of the Enterprise Development Center (EDC) to further empower entrepreneurs.
The Conference also highlighted PROJECT GROW, an initiative of Governor Bassey Otu, in promoting agriculture as a new revenue stream for the State.
Patrick Egbede, Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment reiterated the State Government’s commitment to fostering employment through enterprise development, while Ebimoboere Eniyekpemi, CEO of Afritropic Farming and Agro Services Limited, harped on the need for improved partnerships in agribusiness.
Also in attendance was Abigail Duke Otok, the Commissioner for Commerce; Johnson Ebokpo, Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation; Hippolitus Lokpata, Commissioner for International Donor Coordination; Ntufam Emmanuel Anom. Commissioner for Livestock, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ntufam Emmanuel Anom and other top Government functionaries, including Denis Ikpali, Project Director, Project Grow, among others.
