The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) has given Jigawa State 10,000 water pumps with accessories, 10,000 knapsack sprayers, 10,000 litres of herbicides, 10,000 litres of pesticide, and 10,000 litres of organic fertiliser. 

This was disclosed by Ezeaja Ikemefuna for director information on wednesday February 19, 2025.

This donation is to boost agriculture in the state, increase food production, and achieve food security.

Speaking at the 2025 Wheat Farmers Green Field Celebration in Dabi village, Ringim Local Government Area, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said the items would help reduce food prices and enable farmers to move from subsistence farming to commercial agribusiness.

He noted that agriculture is the backbone of Jigawa State’s economy, contributing over 60% of its GDP and employing over 90% of its people.

“Jigawa is known for its food crop production, livestock farming, and cash crop exports, especially sesame and hibiscus flowers, making the state a leading producer of sesame and the largest producer of hibiscus in Nigeria,” he said.

The Minister revealed that in the 2023/2024 wheat season, the federal government, through the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro Pocket Programme (NAGS-AP), supported the cultivation of 40,000 hectares of wheat in Jigawa State, with the state government and partners adding another 15,000 hectares, making a total of over 55,000 hectares.

“The timely provision of subsidised inputs, along with the hard work of the farmers, led to a bumper harvest that year,” he said.

“Following the success in Jigawa State last season, the Federal Government agreed to increase its support to 60,000 hectares, while the state and other partners will cover an additional 20,000 hectares, bringing the total to 80,000 hectares. Today, we are here to celebrate the cultivation of over 80,000 hectares of wheat, with more than 160,000 farmers supported through subsidised agricultural inputs,” the Minister added.

The Minister praised the collaboration with the African Development Bank, the World Food Programme, other international organisations, and the Flour Milling Association of Nigeria.

Jigawa State Governor, Mallam Umar Namadi, promised his administration’s continued support for agriculture.  He thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Agenda in the agricultural sector.

“In Jigawa State, we are aiming to expand our wheat production to 500,000 hectares by 2030, and we will work with any potential partners to achieve this goal,” the Governor said.

The National Programme Manager of the Flour Milling Association of Nigeria (FMAN), Dr. Aliyu Samaila, said that this year, FMAN, with the Jigawa State Government, is supporting 10,000 farmers with input loans and training over 50,000 farmers across six wheat-producing states.

He added that FMAN has set up 200 demonstration farms and centres of excellence.

The event featured the distribution of agricultural inputs to smallholder farmers and an inspection of wheat farms in Ringim Local Government Area.

Present at the event were the Deputy Governor of Jigawa State, the Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources, FMAFS Directors, members of the Flour Milling Association of Nigeria, and representatives of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, among others.