The Nasarawa State Government has successfully secured a $370,000 grant from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) aimed at accelerating the transformation of the state’s agricultural sector.
This development was announced during the inaugural meeting of the Nasarawa State Capability for Inclusive Agriculture Transformation project, which took place on Friday in Lafia.
AGRA’s Country Director, Mr. Rufus Idris, underscored the organization’s dedication to empowering African nations, particularly in improving agricultural systems and food security, while ensuring that local farmers are at the forefront of this change.
AGRA has a long history of supporting agricultural development across Nigeria, having worked in the country for the past 17 years. The organization has been particularly active in states such as Kaduna and Niger, and through its various initiatives, over one million smallholder farmers in Nigeria have benefitted from AGRA’s support.
According to Idris, the partnership between AGRA and Nasarawa State is of particular significance, given the state’s central role in the nation’s agricultural development and the efforts of Governor Abdullahi Sule’s administration to enhance the state’s agricultural capabilities.
During the meeting, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Umar Abdullahi, who was represented by the Managing Director of the Nasarawa State Agricultural Development Authority (NASIDA), Mr. Ibrahim Abdullahi, expressed deep appreciation to AGRA for its continued partnership.
Abdullahi highlighted that agriculture is the cornerstone of Nasarawa State’s economic progress, given the state’s predominantly agrarian nature.
“Nasarawa’s Economic Development Strategy aims to shift the state from subsistence farming to a more commercially oriented agricultural approach,” Abdullahi explained.
He further emphasized that this transformation is expected to not only create more jobs for the state’s residents but also stimulate economic revitalization.
Agriculture, he stated, remains a key driver of the state’s growth and is at the heart of the reforms implemented by Governor Sule’s administration since 2019.