The Bauchi State Government has inaugurated a seven-member committee to coordinate the screening and distribution of starter packs and grants to 1,250 youths and women trained under its Innovative and Integrated Agricultural Value Chain and Agribusiness Programme.
Commissioner for Agriculture, Ilyasu Gital, who inaugurated the committee, said the intervention reflects Governor Bala Mohammed’s commitment to expanding economic opportunities through agriculture by equipping young people and women with the resources needed to establish viable agribusinesses.
According to him, the beneficiaries completed specialised training in 2025 at the International Skill Acquisition Centre, CSS Farms, along the Keffi-Abuja Expressway in Nasarawa State.
The support package, comprising starter packs and grants, is intended to enable them to translate the knowledge acquired during the training into sustainable enterprises.
Gital said the initiative builds on an earlier phase of the programme, which trained and supported 1,000 youths and women, many of whom have since established businesses across various agricultural value chains.
He noted that the latest intervention is designed not only to improve livelihoods but also to stimulate job creation, strengthen food production and deepen value addition within the state’s agricultural sector.
In recognition of prevailing economic conditions, he disclosed that Governor Mohammed approved an enhanced support package to ensure beneficiaries receive adequate assistance to successfully launch their ventures.
Describing the programme as a strategic investment in human capital and rural development, the commissioner said it would nurture a new generation of modern farmers, processors and agripreneurs capable of driving innovation, expanding market access and improving agricultural productivity across Bauchi State.
Gital said the committee has been mandated to ensure transparency and accountability throughout the distribution process by verifying all 1,250 beneficiaries, sorting them according to their respective local government areas, supervising payments across the state’s 20 local government areas and ensuring beneficiaries appear in person to receive their cheques.
The committee is also expected to submit a comprehensive report at the conclusion of the exercise.
He urged members to carry out their assignment with fairness, professionalism and integrity, stressing that only duly verified beneficiaries should receive support.
He also assured the committee of the ministry’s full backing through logistics, data support and monitoring mechanisms, while encouraging collaboration with local government authorities, security agencies and community leaders to ensure a seamless exercise.
The committee is chaired by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Ibrahim Yusha’u, with Director of Agricultural Services, Babaji Maijamaa; Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Ibrahim Ishaku; representatives of the Accountant-General and Auditor-General of Bauchi State; Training Officer, Yusuf Madiya; and Director of Administration and Human Resources, Shehu Yakubu, who serves as secretary, as members.
Responding on behalf of the committee, Yusha’u thanked the state government for the confidence reposed in the members, describing the assignment as critical to the success of the empowerment programme.
He pledged that the committee would conduct the screening and disbursement exercise with transparency and professionalism, ensuring strict compliance with the approved guidelines.
He added that all processes would be properly documented and a detailed report submitted at the end of the assignment to capture compliance, outcomes and lessons for future interventions.
