12/07/2025
ECONOMIC EVANGELISM: PRESIDENT TINUBU’S RUBBER REVOLUTION GAINS MOMENTUM AS EBA’S 25-YEAR VISION FOR A DECARBONISED ECONOMY BEGINS IN THE LATE SIR MICHAEL OKPARA’S ABIA STATE
The saying “history has a way of repeating itself” appears to be playing out in Abia State, echoing the themes of Dream Counts, a recent book by globally acclaimed author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
In a significant development, Alphonsus Ogar Eba Esq., JP, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria (RRIN), Benin, led his management team on a working visit to the Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti, OFR. Their mission: to explore collaboration in advancing President Tinubu’s vision to revitalise rubber production as part of Nigeria’s sustainable economic diversification and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Over the past four days, Mr Eba—who also serves as APC Chairman for Cross River State and National Secretary of the Forum of APC Chairmen in Nigeria—has been in Abia State with his team, including Dr Lilian Dongo, the Executive Director of RRIN.
This visit marks a promising partnership between a willing federal initiative and a responsive state government. A standout moment came when Mr Eba delivered what many described as an “economic sermon” to the Governor, blending vision with historical reflection.
Mr Eba praised the Governor for the state’s peaceful atmosphere, impressive infrastructure, and warm hospitality. He recalled how Dr Michael Okpara, a distinguished son of Umuahia and former Premier of the Eastern Region, laid the foundation for the region’s agro-industrial revolution in 1959—focusing on rubber, oil palm, and cocoa.
While cocoa and oil palm have received steady government support over the years, Eba noted with regret that rubber has been largely neglected. He passionately appealed to the Governor to embrace what he called an “Economic Evangelism,” a threefold vision: with the Governor as the ‘Father’, himself and RRIN as the ‘Son’, and the spirit of Dr Michael Okpara as the guiding force from above.
Mr Eba expressed concern that despite having 23 states capable of growing rubber, Nigeria produces just 169,000 tonnes annually—far behind Côte d’Ivoire’s 1.8 million tonnes and Liberia’s 460,000 tonnes.
He reminded the Governor that the drive to rejuvenate the rubber sector aligns with his long-held dream of a decarbonised economy, first introduced 25 years ago. He first shared this vision publicly on 31 August 2010, during his campaign for a seat in the State House of Assembly, focusing on oil palm and other cash crops as alternatives to oil.
Dr Lilian Dongo, Executive Director of RRIN, also addressed the Governor. She called rubber the “new gold” for Nigeria and admitted that her experience over two years at RRIN has changed her perception, showing that rubber offers even greater economic potential than cocoa, which she worked with for over two decades.
She highlighted the institute’s outstation in Akwete, Abia State, which includes almost 300 hectares of RRIN land and an additional 2,700 hectares of state-owned rubber plantations in Amaeke and Abam (Arochukwu LGA). With this existing infrastructure and the Governor’s support, she said, Abia is well-positioned to lead the country’s rubber revolution.
Governor Alex Otti warmly welcomed the partnership and praised the Eba-led team for their forward-thinking approach. He immediately approved the collaboration and set up an inter-ministerial team—including the Commissioners for Agriculture and Industry/MSMEs—to begin work on the proposed initiatives.
The Governor expressed confidence that meaningful outcomes can be achieved when good ideas like this are pursued with cooperation and determination.
To further the initiative, the Eba-led team, along with Abia State officials, conducted field visits on 11 July 2025 to the state-owned plantations in Arochukwu, where they engaged with plantation staff and managers to assess current operations.
With the Governor now actively supporting the creation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to drive the project, Eba’s long-held vision for a decarbonised economy is now gaining real momentum. Given his passion, commitment, and proven track record, there’s strong belief that this “Economic Evangelism” will yield tangible results—ushering in a new era where rubber becomes a major source of income for Nigeria, reducing the nation’s dependence on oil.
Indeed, if the dream counts—as the title of Adichie’s book suggests—then Barrister Eba’s 25-year-old dream is well on its way to becoming a reality.
