The federal government has introduced “Project Earn From The Soil,” an initiative aimed at empowering over 500,000 smallholder farmers, fisherfolk, and agribusinesses in the South-South region. Spearheaded by Hon. Gift Johnbull, the Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement for the South-South, the project seeks to harness the region’s agricultural potential to boost food production and economic growth.

During the launch in Port Harcourt, Hon. Johnbull emphasized the project’s focus on cooperative formation and commodity-based clustering to increase productivity. The initiative has already been implemented in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Edo states.

Key stakeholders, including Nexim Bank, the Bank of Agriculture, and UN Women, are collaborating to ensure the project supports women in agriculture and fosters long-term sustainability. The government aims to reduce poverty and elevate women to leadership roles in the agricultural sector.

Anosike Felix Onyebuchi from the Bank of Agriculture and other partners reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining the initiative by addressing farmers’ specific production challenges through tailored support.