By Abdullahi Idris, Dutse In a significant move to revolutionize its agricultural sector, the Jigawa State Government has formalized a par...
By Abdullahi Idris, Dutse
In a significant move to revolutionize its agricultural sector, the Jigawa State Government has formalized a partnership with regional agricultural institutions to establish the Jigawa State Agricultural Transformation Agency.
The announcement was made on Monday during a meeting between Governor Umar Namadi and key stakeholders, including Ms. Safia Boly, Executive Director of the African Agricultural Transformation Initiative (AATI), and Dr. Khalid Bomba, CEO and Managing Director of the Development Sovereign Group. The meeting aimed to advance the state’s ambitious agricultural transformation agenda.
During her remarks, Ms. Safia Boly commended Governor Namadi for his visionary leadership and commitment to agricultural development in Jigawa State. She expressed AATI’s enthusiasm for supporting the state’s agricultural journey, citing previous engagements and collaborations.
“Your Excellency, we are not only pleased to be part of your agricultural transformation journey but also eager to reiterate our continued support for Jigawa State,” Ms. Boly said. “Following our productive engagement in June last year, where we identified the state’s priorities, we were honored by your presence at the Africa Food Systems Summit in Kigali. Your participation and insights during the launch of the agricultural transformation office in Sierra Leone were invaluable.”
She emphasized AATI’s commitment to providing advisory services and expertise to drive impactful results in Jigawa’s agricultural sector.
Similarly, Dr. Khalid Bomba expressed excitement about the collaboration, drawing parallels between Jigawa’s current efforts and Ethiopia’s agricultural transformation journey 15 years ago.
“We are pleased to see the progress Jigawa State is making under your leadership,” Dr. Bomba said. “The policies and ambitions you have outlined mirror Ethiopia’s early steps toward agricultural transformation. Supporting Jigawa State is an honor, and we believe it has the potential to become a model for Nigeria, its northern states, and Africa as a whole.”
In his response, Governor Namadi expressed gratitude for the partnership and highlighted the significance of the visit as a follow-up to earlier discussions.
“It is a great honour for us in Jigawa State to host the Executive Director and the Managing Director,” Governor Namadi said. “This meeting builds on our previous engagement in Kigali and underscores AATI’s commitment to supporting African countries in transforming their agricultural systems. With your expertise and our determination, I am confident this journey will be successful.”
The collaboration, expected to span three to four years, will leverage the expertise of the African Agricultural Transformation Initiative and the Development Sovereign Group to implement practical and sustainable agricultural reforms in Jigawa State.
The proposed Jigawa State Agricultural Transformation Agency will focus on enhancing productivity, fostering innovation, and creating economic opportunities across the agricultural value chain.
Notably, the Jigawa State 2025 budget has already allocated provisions for the establishment of the Agricultural Transformation Agency, signaling the government’s commitment to this transformative initiative.
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