The Enugu State Government has announced its commitment to provide substantial financial support for local government development projects, with a significant increase of 60 percent.

The primary goal of this move is to accelerate grassroots development, particularly in sectors such as agriculture, agro-allied industrialization, and critical infrastructure.

The government aims to bolster the rural economy and generate employment opportunities for the youth population.

Following a meeting of the Enugu State Economic Planning Commission, the government shared its intentions at the Government House in Enugu.

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The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, conveyed the government’s desire to establish a mutually beneficial partnership with local governments by allocating additional funding for selected projects that align with the state’s economic agenda.

This decision also seeks to promote economic activities in rural areas, specifically in agriculture, agro-allied industrialization, agro-allied processing zones, and the allocation of 300,000 hectares of land for commercial farming.

Local governments will be actively involved in identifying and initiating these projects, with the state government matching 60 percent of their contributions for capital projects.

The Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) Enugu State chapter, Hon. Sydney Okechukwu Edeh, welcomed this development, emphasizing its potential to improve the lives of residents and promote transparency, accountability, and quality in local government projects.