Ndubuisi Ugah 
In a bid to strengthen food security and protect farmers against agricultural risks, the Enugu State Government has partnered with the Harvesting Hope Caravan (HHC), a flagship programme under the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU), Pula Advisors, Leadway Insurance Company, and other donor partners.
As part of the initiative, Governor Dr. Peter Mbah’s administration insured over 9,000 farmers against production risks, safeguarding their livelihoods and boosting confidence in the agricultural sector.
Speaking at the flag-off of the programme, HHC Coordinator, Arch Safiya Umar, described the initiative as a national grassroots platform that bridges the gap between government policy and local communities.
She explained that the Caravan facilitates dialogue among policymakers, farmers, and agribusinesses, promoting inclusive engagement rooted in local cultural norms.
“The Harvesting Hope Caravan fosters partnerships and unifies efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s food systems. It gives women, youth, and smallholder farmers a meaningful voice in shaping interventions that affect their lives,” Umar said, noting that the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for sustainable agricultural transformation.
Ugwu Ndubuisi, Head of Pula Advisors in Enugu State, commended the state for actively participating in the National Agribusiness Policy Mechanism (NAPM) alongside HHC to synchronize data-driven planning.
He praised the government for insuring over 9,000 farmers during the 2025 wet season, calling it a milestone in supporting farmers’ welfare and expanding access to agricultural insurance.
Representing the Governor, Deputy Governor Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai described food security as the cornerstone of economic stability and highlighted Enugu’s reforms, including the establishment of the Enugu Agricultural Farmland Bank, which currently houses over 130,000 hectares of land for commercial farming. He also mentioned plans to develop Farm Estates in every political ward, providing land, inputs, and guaranteed market access for farmers.
“Our goal is to move our people from viewing agriculture as a survival activity to embracing it as a profitable business. We treat every farmer equally, male or female, indigene or resident because Enugu is a state of inclusivity and shared opportunity,” Barr. Ossai said, assuring partners that insurance commitments would be handled with transparency and accountability.
Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Patrick Ubru, noted that the administration planned to insure farmers for four consecutive seasons against disasters and would continue distributing quality farm inputs while maintaining an updated database of over 70,000 farmers.
On behalf of farmers, agripreneur Alhaji Friday Sani expressed gratitude to the federal and state governments, emphasizing that the insurance initiative would address major challenges, including low yields and post-harvest losses caused by climate change.
