Poised to launch the Tree Crop Revolution in November 2025, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has directed that the Akwa Ibom State Agricultural Development Programme (AKADEP), formerly under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture, be upgraded to a stand-alone agency under the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).
The Governor also ordered the immediate overhaul and remodeling of infrastructure within the agency’s premises.
Pastor Eno made this known during an unscheduled inspection of facilities at the AKADEP headquarters in Uyo.
The Tree Crop Revolution, recently announced by the Governor, is a flagship agricultural initiative aimed at expanding palm oil production through the introduction of high-yield varieties.
The program seeks to create generational wealth for Akwa Ibom’s rural communities and restore the state’s position as a premier palm oil producer in Nigeria.
The initiative will be managed by the Akwa Ibom State Agriculture and Food Security Committee, chaired by Professor Okon Ansa, a former Commissioner for Agriculture, with Professor Trenchard Ibia, also a former Commissioner for Agriculture, among its key members.
According to the Governor, the Committee will operate from the AKADEP premises and collaborate closely with the Office of the SSG to ensure the successful rollout of the program across all ten federal constituencies in November.
The facility will serve as the central nursery for palm seedlings to be distributed to farmers across the constituencies.
During harvest, the Agriculture and Food Security Committee will coordinate the off-take of the produce.
In addition, AKADEP will deploy at least two agricultural extension workers to each of the farms established under the programme in the ten federal constituencies, ensuring technical support and effective implementation at the grassroots.
