Okechukwu urges Tinubu to implement green imperative project in honour of late Audu Ogbeh

Osita Okechukwu, former director of Voice of Nigeria, has called on President Bola Tinubu to implement the Green Imperative Project (GIP) initiated by the late Audu Ogbeh, former minister of agriculture, as a tribute to his legacy.

Ogbeh, who served as minister during the first term of former president Muhammadu Buhari, introduced the GIP to drive nationwide mechanisation of agriculture. He died on August 9, 2025, at the age of 78.

In a statement on Saturday, his family described him as a man of “integrity, service, and dedication to our nation and community”, adding that he passed away peacefully.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Okechukwu described Ogbeh as a patriot whose commitment to facts, figures, and progress made a lasting impact on Nigeria’s political and agricultural landscape.

“Chief Audu Ogbeh was a patriot whose wisdom, dedication, and pursuit of progress left an indelible mark on Nigeria’s political landscape,” he said. “He was always ready with facts and figures to support his propositions. The nation will sorely miss his insightful perspectives and wealth of experience.”

Okechukwu said the greatest honour Tinubu could give Ogbeh is to execute the GIP as a “living commemorative legacy” to lift millions out of poverty.

“Chief Ogbeh was so passionate about the GIP, which he believed would utilise every square kilometre of Nigeria’s arable land for crops and livestock. He craved a mechanisation armada that would make Nigeria not only food sufficient but also an exporter,” he said.

According to Okechukwu, Ogbeh finalised a memorandum of understanding and financial model agreements with the Brazilian government and the Islamic Development Bank in 2018 to secure the project’s success.

He also referred to Ogbeh’s last interview with Daily Trust, where the former minister lamented being dropped from Buhari’s cabinet after the first term despite progress in rice production.

“They didn’t want to stop importation of rice. We overtook Egypt as Africa’s number one rice producer under me… By today we could have been exporting rice openly to West Africa, but they cut me short and what do I do,” Ogbeh had said.

Okechukwu, a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), prayed for the repose of Ogbeh’s soul and urged Tinubu to act “as a matter of urgent national importance” to bring the GIP to life.