The African Development Bank (AfDB) has commended the Jigawa State Government for its commitment and the successes so far recorded in the areas of agricultural transformation and food security.
This commendation was made during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the African Development Bank (AfDB), alongside representatives from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the APEX.
Led by Dr. Martin Fragene, the Director of Agriculture and Agro-Industry at the AfDB, the delegation arrived in the state in order to witness the agricultural progress firsthand and discuss opportunities for partnership and support.
Dr. Fregene lauded Jigawa State for its exemplary status as a role model in agricultural development. He specifically commended the state government’s strides in wheat cultivation, declaring that Jigawa was at the forefront of a wheat revolution. Moreover, he assured the state of the AfDB’s readiness to provide support in furthering these agricultural initiatives.
Governor Mallam Umar Namadi expressed profound gratitude to the AfDB for its intervention in addressing the food crisis across the African continent. He particularly praised initiatives like the Feed Africa program, emphasizing the effectiveness of the agro pocket component.
Governor Namadi also took the opportunity to commend the leadership of Adesina, the president of the AfDB, hailing him as the best minister of agriculture Nigeria had ever produced, especially for his Rice Revolution program.
“Our agricultural transformation is not by accident,” Governor Namadi asserted. “It is something that was planned because we are convinced that the only way we can move our people out of poverty is through agriculture. Whatever else we will do is secondary.”
He underscored Jigawa State’s dogged commitment to agricultural development, stating that the government, in collaboration with past efforts and current initiatives, aimed to lift the state out of poverty through agriculture.
Governor Namadi further emphasized the state’s willingness to collaborate with the AfDB and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, recognizing their support as integral to achieving their goals.
While providing details on Jigawa’s ongoing wheat farming program, the governor revealed that the state is currently cultivating between 50,000 and 55,000 hectares and ambitiously targeting 150,000 hectares for the following year. He also reassured the delegation of the government’s dedication to accountability by ensuring that all farmers enrolled in the scheme were duly registered.
Hamisu Mohammed Gumel
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Jigawa State
February 6, 2024