Nigeria: Science, Research and Investment Key to Jigawa's Agric Transformation - Namadi

The governor made this assertion on Monday while delivering the keynote address as a guest speaker at the 11th National Annual Conference of the Crop Science Society of Nigeria (CSSN), held at the Nuhu Muhammad Sunusi Auditorium, Federal University, Dutse

Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namad has identified strong political leadership, agricultural research, and sustained investment as the three critical pillars for achieving agricultural transformation, strengthening food security and creating economic opportunities for farmers in the state.

The governor made this assertion on Monday while delivering the keynote address as a guest speaker at the 11th National Annual Conference of the Crop Science Society of Nigeria (CSSN), held at the Nuhu Muhammad Sunusi Auditorium, Federal University, Dutse.

The conference had the theme, "Advancing Sustainable Crop and Climate-Smart Technology for Food Security and Economic Growth."

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Governor Namadi said that Nigeria's growing population and the increasing effects of climate change have made it necessary to rethink agricultural production through improved technologies, stronger research institutions, and policies that support farmers, stating that traditional farming methods alone would not be sufficient to address contemporary food production challenges.

"A farmer with a hoe and old seeds cannot out-produce climate change," he said.

He said agriculture was central to his administration's 12-Point Agenda, supported by the Jigawa State Agricultural Policy 2024-2030 and State Agricultural Investment Plan, alongside strengthened institutions to improve coordination, investment, and service delivery across the sector.

The governor highlighted the importance of scientific research in translating agricultural policies and investments into measurable improvements in productivity.

He said the state government had repositioned and equipped the Jigawa State Agricultural Research Institute, supported postgraduate research through its Wheat Value Chain Research Programme, and facilitated advanced studies for more than 80 Jigawa academics in relevant agricultural disciplines.

He also cited partnerships with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), AfricaRice, CGIAR institutions, and other international research organizations, alongside collaboration with the Sasakawa Africa Association, saying that demonstration results from these partnerships recorded rice yield increases of between 43 and 48 percent and sorghum yield improvements of more than 60 percent compared with farmers' usual practices.

"We are building a durable pipeline of specialist knowledge because the true test of science is not publication alone, but adoption: better varieties, healthier soils, more efficient water use, lower losses, higher yields, and stronger farmer incomes."

On extension services and farmers' access to technology, Namadi disclosed that the State had deployed about 1,700 J-AGRO extension agents and distributed 1,185 motorcycles in 2026 to strengthen field-level agricultural advisory services.

"We have established a digital farmer database and input voucher system so that support reaches real farmers, not ghost farmers. We have set up Climate-Smart Agriculture Centres and twenty modern greenhouses for technology demonstration and vegetable production, and we are extending mobile veterinary services to all 287 wards in the state. When extension works, adoption follows, and when adoption follows, yields and incomes rise."

The governor further outlined investments in irrigation and mechanization, including collaboration with the federal government to develop approximately 18,000 hectares in the Hadejia axis and the provision of 6,000 solar-powered irrigation pumps and borehole-based upland irrigation facilities.

He said more than 250,000 farmers had benefited from agricultural inputs, mechanization, and irrigation support over the past three years, while fertilizer support for the 2026 wet-season farming programme was targeted at 90,000 farmers.

Governor Namadi said the state was developing 200 integrated rice-processing clusters and supporting investments in the processing of rice, sesame, hibiscus, and wheat to improve value addition, reduce post-harvest losses, and expand market opportunities for farmers and agribusinesses.

He called for closer collaboration between government, universities, research institutions, development partners, and the private sector, stressing that agricultural research must respond directly to the needs of farmers and the wider economy.

At the conference, the governor was conferred with the Fellowship of the Crop Science Society of Nigeria in recognition of his administration's agricultural achievements and contributions to agricultural development in Jigawa State.