The Akwa Ibom State Government has officially transferred the operational management of the Ibom Model Farm to Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU). 

Announcing the institutional transition during a site inspection, Governor Pastor Umo Eno revealed that while the university will deploy its academic and technical professionals to run the day-to-day farming systems, the State Ministry of Agriculture will maintain strict supervisory oversight to ensure alignment with state development goals.

Governor Eno highlighted that the farm’s design intentionally blends high-yield food cultivation with serene, recreational spaces to create a commercial agrotourism hub where visitors can relax and learn about sustainable farming. 

Inspired directly by the highly successful West African Songhai Farm model, the state has already completed the initial infrastructure phase, including the primary farmhouse. 

It is entering advanced stages of deploying additional automated utility grids.

The deployment serves as the foundational template for a wider, tri-senatorial agricultural expansion program across the state. 

The administration has finalised plans to establish two additional model farms: one in Ini Local Government Area to serve the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, and another in Eastern Obolo Local Government Area to anchor the Eket Senatorial District. 

The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Offiong Offor, noted that this network will simultaneously address local food availability and function as a premier centre for grassroots human capacity development.

The academic community has expressed absolute readiness to meet the state’s commercial expectations. 

The Vice Chancellor of Akwa Ibom State University, Professor Otoabasi Akpan, assured government stakeholders that the institution’s Faculty of Agriculture possesses the specialised technical expertise to turn the facility into a national benchmark for modern farming. 

Professor Akpan emphasised that the partnership directly fits into the “Agricultural Revolution” pillar of Governor Eno’s signature ARISE Agenda, transforming the state into a self-reliant economy capable of managing its food future independently.

Source: Akwa Ibom State Gov