The Jigawa State Government has launched a new agricultural support initiative targeting 90,000 smallholder farmers as part of efforts to improve productivity, lower farming costs and strengthen food security across the state.
Governor Umar Namadi announced the initiative during the inauguration of the 2026 Wet Season Agricultural Support Programme held on Saturday in Dutse.
Under the programme, the state government will distribute fertilisers, other essential farm inputs, 6,000 solar-powered water pumps and 1,185 motorcycles for agricultural extension workers.
The governor explained that 50,000 farmers would receive support directly from the state government, while an additional 40,000 farmers would benefit through a collaborative arrangement involving the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and StarAgri.
According to him, the intervention is expected to expand irrigation farming, reduce production expenses and improve the delivery of agricultural extension services across the state.
Mr Namadi said the programme was introduced to tackle major constraints affecting agricultural production, including limited access to quality farm inputs, increasing energy costs and rising production expenses.
He added that the state had already reached 250,000 farmers through various interventions implemented under its agricultural transformation programme.
The governor highlighted several achievements recorded under the programme, including the deployment of 1,700 extension agents, the acquisition of 450 tractors and 70 combine harvesters, the establishment of 20 modern greenhouses and four climate-smart agriculture centres, the rehabilitation of the Kuda and Dembo dams, and the development of 200 commercial rice processing clusters.
In his words: “It is against this background that we are flagging off the 2026 Wet Season Agricultural Support Programme, to help farmers enter the season with the inputs, equipment and services they need for productive cultivation.”
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Muttaka Namadi, said the intervention was designed to improve farmers’ access to quality agricultural inputs, reinforce extension services, promote climate-smart farming practices and ensure the timely supply of fertilisers at affordable prices.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Jigawa State Agricultural Transformation Agency (J-ATA), Saifullahi Umar, said the fertilisers, farm inputs and equipment being distributed would lower production costs, increase farmers’ earnings and contribute to improved food security.
He added that the programme would also enhance agricultural productivity while creating sustainable employment opportunities for young people.
“To improve farmer incomes, we must increase yield per hectare. To create sustainable jobs for our teeming youth, we must make farming a business, not a struggle for survival,”he said.
The Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Ayo Sotinrin, encouraged beneficiaries to make effective use of the support provided in order to maximise productivity.
“Farm with purpose and apply your inputs correctly. The harvest you produce is not just feeding your family, it is feeding the nation and strengthening the economy,”he said.
The Managing Director of Star Agri West Africa Ltd., Sunday Eyal, praised the Jigawa State Government for its sustained investment in the agricultural sector.
“We went through the warehouses established by the government and, when compared with warehouses in other states, we found that Jigawa has invested enormously in agriculture,” Mr Eyal said.
Also, the Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Jigawa State, Ya’u Idris Maiunguwa, commended Governor Namadi for consistently supporting smallholder farmers.
“Beneficiaries were selected based on merit, while leaders of farmers’ associations participated in identifying genuine farmers across communities,”he said.
