From TCNEWS

Governor Alex Otti, has pledged full support for a strategic partnership with the Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria (RRIN), in a decisive move to revive Abia State’s agricultural economy and reduce its dependence on oil revenue. 

The initiative, which involves key stakeholders including the State’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Cliff Agbaeze, aims to enhance rubber production, processing, and export capacity in the region. 

Governor Otti made this commitment on Wednesday in Umuahia during a working visit by a high-level RRIN delegation led by the Chairman of its Governing Board, Barr. Alphonsus Ogar Eba. Also in attendance was the RRIN Executive Director, Mrs. Lilian Nkechi Dongo.

Highlighting rubber’s potential to transform the state’s economy, Governor Otti directed the Commissioners for Agriculture and Industry, Dr. Agbaeze and Mazi Mike Akpara respectively, to immediately engage with the RRIN team and develop a comprehensive action plan for collaboration.

“We need to sit down and flesh out all the details of where you want us to come in. We can even set up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to drive the project,” Governor Otti said, expressing full alignment with the proposals made by the RRIN delegation.

Otti emphasized that rubber’s downstream potential, spanning processing, packaging, and export, could significantly raise the state’s GDP and create new employment opportunities. He pointed to Nigeria’s historic strength in agricultural production prior to oil dependence, warning that the global shift towards renewable energy makes it imperative for Nigeria to diversify now.

“If not in our generation, maybe in the next, oil will have no value,” the Governor remarked. “The global campaign toward zero emissions is progressing. Soon, fossil-fuel vehicles will be obsolete. What happens to economies like ours that rely solely on oil?”

RRIN’s Governing Board Chair, Barr. Eba, said the visit was part of efforts to support the federal government’s presidential initiative to revitalize rubber production. He expressed optimism that Abia, with its rich industrial legacy and infrastructure like the Akwete rubber station, could become a regional hub for rubber production.

“Abia stands very tall in terms of industrialization. We believe this partnership will lead to massive job creation and economic expansion,” Eba noted.

Adding further context, Mrs. Dongo said RRIN is the only Nigerian institution with a government mandate for research and development in rubber and latex-producing plants. She maintained that rubber holds untapped potential that could help lift Nigeria out of its current economic difficulties.

“We are here to see how Abia can collaborate with us. The rubber sector is capable of turning Nigeria’s economy around,” she said, also calling for the state’s support in hosting RRIN’s upcoming international conference later in the year.

The partnership signals a critical shift toward sustainable economic development in Abia State and beyond. By focusing on rubber, a once-thriving commodity in Nigeria, the state is aligning with global trends in green energy, job creation, and industrial self-reliance. If successful, this collaboration could serve as a national model for agro-industrial revitalization in a post-oil economy.

Also present at the meeting were several government officials and representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Industry.