A strong appeal has been made for the federal government to establish the catchment headquarters (HQ) of the Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority and other critical agricultural institutions in Ebonyi State, as a step toward boosting national food security and economic development.
In an open letter addressed to Senator Peter Onyekachi Nwebonyi, Deputy Chief Whip of the 10th Nigerian Senate, prominent agricultural scientist Dr. Jerry Nwogha commended the senator's legislative strides, particularly his bill to establish a Federal University of Agriculture in Ebonyi.
However, he stressed that more must be done to correct decades of federal neglect of Ebonyi's agricultural potential.
“Ebonyi is Nigeria’s top rice-producing state and hosts the largest rice milling cluster in West Africa, yet the state is bypassed in the siting of national agricultural research institutions. This is a strategic oversight that must be corrected,” Nwogha wrote.
He called for the immediate relocation of the regional headquarters of the Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority to Ebonyi State, alongside a presence of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, saying it will provide critical infrastructure support, water irrigation access, and employment to farmers in the region.
According to Nwogha, Ebonyi’s exclusion from key federal agricultural infrastructure undermines the country’s food security drive, even though the state has become a national model for rice, yam, and cassava production.
Beyond agriculture, the letter also highlighted the plight of the Izhi people residing in Ado LGA of Benue State, who share deep ancestral ties with Ebonyi but suffer from neglect, insecurity, and poor infrastructure.
He urged Senator Nwebonyi to champion a constitutional boundary adjustment during the ongoing amendment process to reintegrate these communities into Ebonyi State for proper representation and protection.
“These are not settlers—they are sons and daughters of Ebonyi, cut off by colonial boundaries and now abandoned. Their suffering must end,” he wrote.
Nwogha praised both Senator Nwebonyi and Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State for their past efforts in defending the Izhi people during the 2020 massacre, calling on them to finish the work by using their influence to push this boundary adjustment through the National Assembly.
Local youth and community leaders have begun rallying behind the call, describing it as a timely move that could unlock Ebonyi’s full potential in national development.
“If the federal government is serious about food security and inclusive growth, then Ebonyi must no longer be ignored,” the letter concluded.
Our correspondent reports that this growing call has added momentum to Ebonyi State’s push for strategic federal presence and recognition in national agricultural planning as the youngest state in the southeastern Nigeria.
