By Ibrahim Ibrahim
Jigawa State is setting its sights on becoming Nigeria’s leading food hub, as Governor Umar Namadi rolls out an ambitious agricultural transformation plan aimed at boosting rice production, modernising farming, and tackling the perennial challenge of flooding.
Dr. Saifullahi Umar, Technical Adviser on Agriculture to the Governor, revealed that the state commands a vast agricultural landscape of 2.4 million hectares, with 1.9 million hectares already suitable for cultivation.
“Jigawa is Nigeria’s number two producer of rice and number one in wheat. We also lead in sesame and hibiscus production, alongside millet, sorghum, and legumes,” he stated.
According to him, Jigawa currently produces between 2 million and 2.5 million metric tonnes of rice annually but is working to raise output to 3.6 million tonnes — about 35 per cent of Nigeria’s total rice demand.
“Our goal is to reduce imports, secure jobs, and strengthen national food security,” Dr. Umar explained.
To drive this vision, the state government has launched the Mechanisation Service Company, a $16 million partnership that will provide 300 tractors, 60 combine harvesters, 150 boom sprayers, and 150 rice seeders. The initiative, he noted, will boost farm efficiency, minimise post-harvest losses, and enable farmers to cultivate more land.
The administration is also expanding irrigation infrastructure, rehabilitating 10 dams, and harnessing the 200-kilometre-long River Mayo plains to support year-round farming.
On efforts to combat flooding — a recurring threat to Jigawa’s farmlands — Dr. Umar disclosed that the state has embarked on dredging projects, constructed over 70 kilometres of embankments, and enrolled 23,000 rice farmers in a joint federal-state crop insurance scheme.
“With these reforms, Jigawa will not only feed itself but also contribute significantly to securing Nigeria’s food future,” he assured.
