Abia rice revolution and automated shoemaking

By Okechukwu Keshi Ukegbu

If all projections of Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration in Abia state do not suffer any hitch, the state in few years ahead will achieve sufficiency in rice consumption from its local cultivation and may extend the stride to exporting rice.

It will be recalled that  the coordinator of the Abia State Accelerated Rice Development Program, Pastor Okechukwu Dike during the flag-off the 2019/2020 rice farming season in the state held at Bende Agro Services Rice Field at Okpotom Bende, in Bende Local Government Area assured that Abia will depend on its local rice production to meet its consumption needs in the next two years.

Two rice mills were recently added to the rice mills in the state, raising the number of rice mills in the state to four. It is also expected that more rice mills will be commissioned in not-too- distant future to make the governor’s dream of revolutionising the rice production situation in the state a reality.

The governor briefing newsmen  Government House, Umuahia, after commisioning two rice meals in Uzuakoli and Acha communities all in Abia North section of the state during a media tour recently,said that he was moved by the sight of some women of the area traveling long distances as far as Ebonyi State to mill their rice in his recent visit to the area.

Before now the governor has  provided farm implements and improved rice seedlings to Abia farmers to support the rice revolution.

Also, Gov Ikpeazu’s administration has recorded the following achievements in the agricultural sector:launching of large scale mushroom production and training program that is already yielding great results and attracting requests for support from other states .This venture has enabled many young Abians to be trained in mushroom production and are currently engaged in large-scale commercial mushroom production.

The state has also engaged in a massive Palm planting campaign which has so far yielded over 4 Million Tenera specie palm seedlings across the state. The target is to plant 7.5m seedlings by the end of 2020.

Another area the state is making serious inroad is its strides to automate the shoemaking process .Since the inception of Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration in Abia State, it has been his firm desire to root the Aba-made shoe in global footing. This desire has promoted some actions to back it up such as sending some shoe makers overseas to undergo trainings in automated shoe making.

Also, earlier this year, a ground breaking ceremony for the establishment of its Footwear Factory and Leather City Industrial Park was performed in Obuaku, Ukwa West local government area of the state.
The project, powered by NIBRA Designs Limits and a Brazilian Shoe making firm, is expected to produce 15,000 pairs of shoes daily at take-off  and 100,000 pairs when the project fully comes on board.

According to  Chairman of Nibra Designs Ltd, Dr Aura Abiola, the decision to set up the factory in partnership with a Brazilian shoe making company was informed by the need to tap into the existing footwear ecosystem in Aba and support the governor’s industrialization agenda.Another leg of the project targets to train Aba shoe makers and graduate them from artisans to full entrepreneurs.

The automation of the manufacturing process of made in Aba shoes is at the threshold of actualisation as batches of equipment that will drive the process have arrived.

Gov Ikpeazu has unveiled these equipment at the governor’s lodge in Aba with strong assurances that he will not relent in his efforts to drive the made in Aba campaign which he is the brand ambassador.

The governor reiterated his stand not to compromise the quality the shoe makers will be churning out in the few months ahead.

He also renewed his appeals to the public, especially the federal government to step up their patronage of made in Aba footwears.