Akwa Ibom: Meet Local Government Chairman Who Farms, Build Shoe Factory to Raise Revenue and Create Jobs

Contrary to the popular perception that government has no business with business, Mkpat Enin Local Government council under the leadership of Hon. Ekanem Brown, the Executive Chairman is witnessing bumper harvests from the various business ventures embarked by the present administration.

From agricultural programme to shoe manufacturing, the present administration in the area in just 100days has taken several bold steps to create employment opportunities, improve her revenue and encourage people of the area to take advantage of the very fertile topography for commercial agriculture.

The latest in the series of bountiful returns on government investment is the harvest of cucumber and other produce in commercial quantity from the farms cultivated by the Local Government just two months ago.

The ten hectare farm which employs over twenty local farmers and security guards was planted with an improved variety of cucumber seeds with a maturity period of forty five days.

Just recently, the council boss, Hon. Ekanem Brown supervised the first harvest of cucumber from the plantation. The produce were harvested in commercial quantity and loaded in truck for onward supply to a waiting market.

According to the consultant of the farm, simply know as Mr. Mike, about one hundred bags of cucumber will be harvested weekly from the farm for at least two months with market value worth millions of naira. Plans are also underway for a team of investors to set up a 150 hectare plantain plantation with two plantain mills.

With the agric revolution, shoe factory, tourism and sports initiatives of Hon. Ekanem Brown, it is evident that he is leading the way amongst Local Government chairmen in Nigeria who are ‘thinking out of the box’ to solve the various challenges of their domain especially in the areas of job creation, poverty alleviation, revenue generation amongst others.