‎GOVERNOR MUTFWANG COMMISSIONS POTATO VALUE CHAIN PROJECT, SETS PLATEAU ON COURSE FOR AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIALISATION‎

Plateau State Governor, His Excellency, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang has commissioned the Potato Value Chain Project; a state-of-the-art Tissue Culture Laboratory and the distribution of modern agricultural equipment in Mangu Local Government Area.

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‎The initiative is a landmark investment that will transform Plateau State from a producer of raw potatoes into Nigeria's leading hub for potato processing and value addition.

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‎The project, which also features a training centre and a potato processing facility, is expected to revolutionise seed production, boost mechanised farming, improve farmers' incomes and position Plateau as a major player in Africa's potato industry.

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‎Governor Mutfwang said the successful completion of the project represents the recovery of an initiative that was on the verge of cancellation when his administration assumed office.

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‎"Today is a story of recovery, a story of repositioning and a story of putting round pegs in round holes. When you get the right people to do the right job, you get the right results," the Governor stated."

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‎He explained that the potato value chain extends beyond cultivation to processing, transportation, packaging and marketing, creating multiple business opportunities and sustainable employment.

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‎Expressing concern over Nigeria's dependence on imported potato products, the Governor declared:

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‎"This is the beginning of the end of that story. We want to assure all the top businesses in Nigeria that you can buy potatoes from Plateau State and they will compete with potatoes anywhere in the world."

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‎Governor Mutfwang announced plans to commence local production of potato chips and potato flakes while introducing value-added potatoes into the state's school feeding programme.

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‎According to him, the initiative is designed to improve the welfare of citizens rather than merely deliver physical infrastructure.

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‎"Legacy is not about buildings; legacy is about improving the welfare of our people and putting purchasing power in their pockets."

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‎The Governor clarified that the disease-free seed materials distributed during the event were strictly for multiplication and not consumption. "What we are giving out today is not for consumption; it is for multiplication."

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‎He urged farmers to embrace improved seed varieties, cooperative farming and mechanisation to eliminate crop diseases, increase productivity and reduce labour-intensive farming practices.

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‎"Our problem is production. We don't produce what we need... In the next three to five years, the story of potato on the Plateau will be a different story."

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‎He also appreciated the Mangu community for donating land for the project and disclosed that complementary investments, including a modern processing centre, the revival of the Agricultural Services and Training Centre (ASTC) and an organised agricultural market, would stimulate industrial growth in the area.

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‎Mutfwang expressed confidence that Mangu is a platform to position Plateau State a next industrial hub.

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‎Earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Samson Bugama, described the commissioning as the beginning of the "Plateau Potato Revolution," noting that the Tissue Culture Laboratory would serve as the foundation for developing disease-free seeds and indigenous potato varieties capable of competing globally.

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‎He explained that the project integrates seed production, farmer training and processing facilities into a single value chain designed to fulfil Governor Mutfwang's vision of making potato the state's flagship agricultural commodity.

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‎The Chairman of Mangu Local Government Council, Emmanuel Mwolpun said the project is a turning point for farmers, noting that over 80 percent of the people of Plateau depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. He expressed confidence that access to quality seedlings and mechanised farming would significantly increase productivity, reduce poverty and strengthen Plateau's position as Nigeria's leading potato-producing state.

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‎Project Director of Transparent Engineering Construction Nigeria Limited, Engineer Adegoke Olowale, commended the Governor for insisting on quality and timely delivery. He noted that beyond providing critical agricultural infrastructure, the project had generated direct and indirect employment for skilled and unskilled youths from the host community during construction.

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‎Also speaking, Mr. Steve Bawa of Fruits and Veggies Limited disclosed that the project has already impacted about 3,000 farmers through the training of 100 licensed community seed producers. He revealed that 10 containers of quality potato seed had already been imported and planted on about 90 hectares, describing the initiative as one of the most significant potato seed multiplication programmes in West Africa. According to him, the Tissue Culture Laboratory will ensure a continuous supply of disease-free planting materials capable of sustaining increased production for years to come.

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‎Earlier, the Project Coordinator of the Plateau State Potato Value Chain Support Project, Chief Jerry Gushop, commended Governor Caleb Mutfwang for reviving a project that had struggled to achieve its objectives since its inception in 2017, noting that the administration's intervention transformed it into one of the state's most impactful agricultural initiatives.

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‎Chief Gushop said that after assuming office as Project Coordinator in June 2025, the implementation team delivered within one year what had not been achieved in the previous eight years.

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‎He highlighted the major achievements of the project to include the establishment of the modern Tissue Culture Laboratory for the production of disease-free potato seeds, the construction of 118.4 kilometres of rural roads and culverts, the development of nine community markets and nine diffuse light storage facilities, the provision of 17 spring capture systems and 22 water harvesting structures to support year-round farming, as well as the establishment of three potato processing plants in Mangu, Bokkos and Barkin Ladi.

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‎The Project Coordinator further disclosed that the programme empowered farmers through the distribution of 1,000 water pumps, 1,200 bags of quality seed, 270 tonnes of improved seed varieties, herbicides, fungicides and insecticides, while hundreds of farmers and other value chain actors received training in seed multiplication, modern production techniques, processing, packaging and agribusiness management.

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‎According to him, the project has gone beyond infrastructure to transform livelihoods across farming communities.

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‎ "These are not just numbers; they have changed lives. They are mothers who now earn more, youths who now see farming as a business, and communities that now believe government can work for them."

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‎He expressed confidence that the impact would continue to be felt through increased farm productivity, improved household incomes, expanded agro-processing and the sustained growth of Plateau State's potato economy.

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‎Gyang Bere, PhD

‎Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Executive Governor of Plateau State

‎July 10, 2026