News in Brief:
– Jigawa State, Nigeria, plans to cultivate a massive 150,000 hectares of wheat next season to boost food security.
– Governor Namadi sees agriculture as key to poverty reduction and commends federal and international initiatives supporting farmers.
Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi announced a plan to cultivate 150,000 hectares (ha) of wheat during the upcoming farming season, aiming to boost food security in the state and Nigeria as a whole.
This ambitious initiative comes on the heels of a 40,000-hectare wheat farming allocation granted to Jigawa by the Federal Government under its national food security program.
Governor Namadi harped on the crucial role of agriculture in poverty reduction. “The only way to move people out of poverty is through the development of agriculture,” he said. He also commended President Bola Tinubu for his agricultural intervention programs and the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) Feed the Nation initiative.
According to a statement released by the governor’s Special Assistant Media, Zainab Ringim, the state government is committed to ensuring the success of this project. They plan to closely monitor the distribution and use of agricultural inputs to maximise yields and achieve a greater Jigawa.
The AfDB delegation, led by Dr. Martings Fregnen, expressed their support for the project during a meeting with Governor Namadi. They pledged to collaborate with the state government in areas like irrigated land development, farmer financing, and youth empowerment initiatives.
It would be recalled that the federal government launched the dry season farming initiative in Jigawa, in November, 2023, with 120,000 hectares of land. The project is being developed under the Wheat Development Programme.
Overall, agriculture plays a pivotal role in Jigawa economy. It was estimated that, in 2023, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Jigawa State grew to over three trillion naira, against less than one trillion naira in 2015, with agriculture as the highest contributor.
