Umahi Seeks U.S. Assistance To Develop Agriculture

Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi, has decided to seek the help of the US in the development of the agricultural and solid minerals sectors.

Umahi said in a meeting with the US Ambassador to Nigeria Mr. Stuart Symington, that Ebonyi had several raw minerals, such as limestone, salt and lead, which were yet to be developed. In the meeting Umahi said,

“We are reputed for rice production in West Africa and our salt and limestone deposits are among the best in the world.

“We seek U. S. assistance in technological enhancement to develop these sectors, as we are using our three technical colleges to develop indigenous technology,”.

He thanked the U.S. government for its interventions in Nigeria, which had benefited Ebonyi.

“We solicit your cooperation to attract investment, as we have provided an enabling environment for economic investments to thrive.

“Security provision in Ebonyi is one of the best in the country, as we have invested in infrastructural development to attract investment opportunities.

“Our allocation from the Federation Account is meager and this makes us insist on quality in our construction, such as roads due to our soil texture.

“We place this emphasis on infrastructural development to solve our under-development challenges occasioned by years of neglect by the states we hitherto belonged,” Umahi said.

Symington said he was in the state to deepen the relationship between the U.S. and Ebonyi.

He added: “We are determined to ensure a more robust relationship built on trust, which will assist the state in the development of its economic and social sectors.”