
News
Enugu to lead in production as Mbah flags off 2024 cashew season
Governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, has flagged off the 2024 National Cashew Day and Cashew Season, assuring boost in the industry in order to make the state the hub of cashew production in Nigeria.
The Governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialization, Hon Patrick Ubru, officially flagged-off the 2024 cashew trading season at an event organised by the National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN), in Enugu, on Wednesday, stressing that Enugu State is known as a land for cashew production in the country.
Speaking on the theme, “Transforming Nigeria cashew industry through Technology, Innovation and Inclusive policies”, Governor Mbah commended the leadership of NCAN for choosing Enugu State for this year’s event noting that the state has played a central role in the production of cashew in Nigeria over the years.
He recounted how the national production of cashew went down from splendour in the early 1960s to a distant 14th position on the rung of the ladder, far behind neighbours like Cote D’Ivoire, Benin and Mali.
Mbah said that agriculture is expected to play a significant part of driving private sector investment due to the endowment of arable lands, favourable climate patterns and also agriculture being a natural occupation of most of majority of the people in the state making cashew one of the focal crops along side cassava, rice, oil palm and variety of spices.
He expressed hope that the event would provide key stakeholders in the industry an opportunity to engage in some deep thinking about strategies required to reignite the dynamism of the industry as quickly as possible.

Mbah reassured of his commitment to continue to work closely with partners and stakeholders such as NCAN and others in making cashew one of the leading foreign exchange earners for the country and a veritable source of livelihood for the state.
Earlier, in a key note address presented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Tajudeen Abbas who was represented by the Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture, Dr Adeyemi Akinyemi, commended the governor for enacting policies since assumption of office which directed at the revamping of agriculture and making Enugu a productive state.
According to the Speaker, Nigeria currently ranks 6th largest producer of cashew, with an annual production of 120,000 tonnes and a trade value of ₦24 billion.
He stated that the market projection for 2030 by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council is that Nigeria will reach 300,000 metric tonnes of cashew production, solidifying the country’s place on the global stage with rapid growth in cashew kernel exports, predominantly to the USA. These, he said, were accomplished despite the traditional farming methods, insisting on possibilities of remarkable improvement through innovative technology backed up by legislation that safeguards the sector.
The President, National Cashew Association of Nigeria, Dr Ojo Joseph Ajanaku, who gave an overview of the history and roles of the Association said its vision is to make the country’s cashew industry the most reliable and credible supplier and exporter of high quality cashew products in a sustainable manner.
He said that Enugu was choosen because of the large cashew production commenced under under the Micheal Okpara administration in the defunct Eastern Region, adding that although the purpose then was primarily targeted at erosion control, unlike now that it has become of high economic value.
The high point of the event was when Governor Mbah was presented the Best Achiever Award in recognition of his contributions towards agricultural development, food security, and economic advancement by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Also in attendance were the representative of the Governor of Abia State, representative of the Federal Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, representative of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Commissioner of Agriculture Edo State, donor partners such as GIZ and NEXIM.
News
Enugu Lawyer rejects paternity claim after DNA Test results
A legal practitioner, Barrister Chinedu Ifeanyi Iloeje, has publicly declared that a man previously believed to be his son is not biologically related to him, following the outcome of a DNA test.
In a public notice published in a newspaper, Iloeje stated that he was allegedly misled by the man’s mother into believing that the individual, identified as Chinedu Francis Iloeje, was his biological son.
According to the notice, DNA testing conducted on the matter established “beyond any doubt” that the man is not his son.
The lawyer further clarified that he never legally adopted the individual, despite the latter bearing the name Chinedu Francis Iloeje.
Disclaimer
Barrister Iloeje explained that the man’s original name is Chinedu Francis Onwualu and stressed that he has no legal or biological relationship with him.
The notice also informed members of the public, the Greater Iloeje Family, the Umuodu Village Union, Uwani Amokwe Town Union, St. Theresa’s Catholic Church Amokwe, Udi Local Government Council, and other stakeholders of his declaration.

He stated that the disclaimer was made in good faith and while of sound mind, urging the public to take note of the clarification.
The publication has sparked discussions on paternity disputes and the increasing reliance on DNA testing to resolve questions of biological parentage.
News
Obi donates N10 million to burnt hospital in Enugu
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the forthcoming 2027 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has donated N10 million to assist in the renovation of the burnt Mother of Christ Specialist Hospital, Enugu State.
The former Anambra State governor handed over the cheque for the donation to the hospital management team when he visited the hospital yesterday.
The hospital belongs to the Reverend Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of the Catholic Church.

Mr Peter Obi inspecting the burnt hospital
Addressing the hospital management team after inspecting parts of the burnt hospital, the NDC presidential candidate commended them for their efforts in contributing to healthcare delivery services.
Telling them that even though they might feel that they were not being appreciated for what they were doing, Obi, however, described healthcare delivery services and education as among the “most critical needs of society” and urged them not to relent in what they were doing.

Accompanied during the visit by his Chief of Staff, Commissioner for Housing, as well as Special Adviser on Media when he was Anambra State governor, Prof. Stella Okunna, Prof. Patrick Obi, and Dr. Valentine Obienyem respectively, Obi assured the hospital management team that he would continue to support them.
Part of the hospital gutted by the inferno and inspected by Obi was the Children’s Ward.
Expressing gratitude on behalf of the hospital management, the Chief Medical Director of Immaculate Heart Hospital, Nkpor, Anambra State, Rev. Sister Dr. Maria Nkiruka Okafor, eulogised Obi for his sacrifices and selfless contributions to humanity.
Disclosing that Obi had already credited the hospital’s accountant with the N10 million donation and that he was even the person who called her to inform her that he had received the sad news of the inferno and promised to donate towards the renovation, Rev. Sister Okafor described him as a rare politician.
She prayed that God would grant him his ambition to become President of the country and enable him to achieve his desire to transform it.
News
FG, Enugu State target direct China-Enugu Cargo flights by December – Keyamo
The Federal Government and Enugu State Government are in talks to ensure the commencement of direct cargo flight operations between Enugu and Guangzhou, China, before the end of the year.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Barr Festus Keyamo, disclosed this in Lagos during the launch of the United Air’s newly acquired airplanes on Thursday.
The Minister added said the FG had affected a structural management overhaul at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, also bringing the airport under a privately run operational framework.

Enugu Airline
“One of our prides in the South is the Enugu International Airport. The Enugu governor approached Mr. President, noting that the airport was not maximising its economic potential under standard bureaucratic structures, and requested to bring in private investors to run it. Mr. President gave the green light.
“As I speak with you, Enugu is now fully privately owned and fully supported by state government, with the clear objective of also turning it into a dedicated cargo hub for the entire Southeast.”

To this effect, therefore, Keyamo said that a high-level bilateral trade negotiations were ongoing with a view to securing direct logistics flights between China and the Southeast by the end of 2026.
“Just two days ago, the Enugu governor and I were actively negotiating the first direct cargo flight from Guangzhou, China, straight into Enugu.
“We are targeting December for the maiden flight. This will allow our Southeast merchants and traders in China to consolidate their goods into unified cargo accounts twice a week, flying straight into Enugu for seamless delivery to hubs like Onitsha and Aba,” he concluded.
It is recalled that Governor Mbah had in July 2025 launched Enugu Air, a state-owned airline, as part of the administration’s integrated blueprint for a modern, multimodal transport ecosystem and the vision to make Enugu a major aviation and logistics hub.
Since then, Enugu Air has grown its fleet from three at inception to six planes with plans to further increase it as it prepares to commence operations to regional destinations like Accra, Libreville, Abidjan in next few months and long haul flight operations to various destinations around the world by the end of the year.
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