A’Ibom Is Open To Productive Partnerships – Gov Eno

By Bassey Nkponam
UYO
The Akwa Ibom governor has said that the State is open to productive partnerships with groups and individuals to fully actualize his administration’s ARISE Agenda blueprint.
Pastor Umo Eno who stated this Wednesday, during courtesy call sessions on him by a delegation from the French Embassy led by the Head of the Regional Economic Department for Nigeria and Ghana, Mr. Florent Mangin, and the Development Sovereignty Group-Ethiopia, led by executive director, African Agricultural Transformation Initiative (AATI), Ms Safia Boly, which took place at the Government House, Uyo, reiterated the readiness of his government to partner  groups and individuals to fully realize the ARISE Agenda.
Eno who took time to explain the meaning of the blueprint to the visitors, said the ARISE Agenda is an acronym for Agricultural Revolution, Rural Development, Infrastructural Maintenance, Security Management and Educational Advancement  has 17 thematic areas,  expressing optimism that with the blueprint and the thematic areas including tourism, the State will continue to move in positive developmental trajectory.
He noted that beyond other areas of interest, the State will appreciate partnerships in the area of agriculture, especially in the rural areas, while explaining some of the efforts of the State government, particularly in the Ibom Model Farm which is in partnership with Songhai Farm, Port Novo.
According to him, the State intends to have some farm settlements and will appreciate partners for their actualisation.
Eno also made known government’s readiness for partnership in areas of health and renewable energy, stressing that, “government will appreciate partnership in those areas as the State is building primary health centres with the launch of a state-wide insurance scheme to ensure a healthy population.
The governor appreciated the French Embassy, and the Development Sovereignty Group for their visit and interest in the State, assuring that the State was willing to engage in productive partnership to fulfill the ambitious plans of the ARISE Agenda.
The team lead of the French Embassy, Mangin, acompanied by Monsieur Martin Folliasson, said they were in the State on the invitation by the Ibom Air to explore ways of working together, as his country was equally interested in other areas of partnership and funding to strengthen the relationship with Nigeria and Akwa Ibom State in particular.
He listed different areas of French investments in Africa among others to include SPIE, Michelin, Moet Hennessy, Big, and Airbus, saying Nigeria accounts for 60 per cent of French Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Africa.
The leader of the delegation from Development Sovereignty Group, Boly, said the visit was to explore possible areas where they could support the state’s drive for agricultural revolution.
Accompanied by the managing director, DSG, Dr. Khalid Bomba, and Mr. Orion Hailemichael, Boly noted some of the group’s work done in other countries in the areas of agricultural transformation, and lauded the State government for its initiative in developing the blueprint, the ARISE Agenda, which if adopted, could make meaningful impact in the agricultural sector.