The Zamfara State Government says it has allocated more than 10 per cent of its annual budget to agriculture in both 2025 and 2026, in line with the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), as part of efforts to strengthen a sector that employs over 80 per cent of the state’s active population.
Governor Dauda Lawal disclosed this in Gusau during the flag-off of the Renewed Hope Seed Support Programme, implemented by the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) in collaboration with the state government. He was represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Ya’u Haruna Gamji.
The governor described agriculture as the backbone of the state’s economy, noting that the budgetary commitment reflects the administration’s strategic focus on the sector as a driver of economic resilience and food security.
Beyond the budget allocation, Lawal said the state was at an advanced stage of procuring 250 tractors and implements from China to boost mechanised farming. He also disclosed that Zamfara had secured a partnership with Turkey worth $100 million for agricultural intervention.
On the seed support programme, the governor said the Federal Government’s intervention, which saw the distribution of 46 metric tonnes of certified seeds to 4,600 farmers, was aimed at cushioning the effects of the prolonged dry spell that followed the early onset of the 2026 rainy season.
He urged beneficiaries to make judicious use of the seeds and work closely with extension agents to improve their yields, saying, “Let the agricultural sector lead the way towards a more resilient and prosperous Zamfara and Nigeria in general.”
