By Abdullahi Idris, Dutse Governor Umar Namadi has approved the appointment of Dr. Saifullahi Umar as the pioneer Director-Gener...
By Abdullahi Idris, Dutse
Governor Umar Namadi has approved the appointment of Dr. Saifullahi Umar as the pioneer Director-General of the newly established Jigawa State Agricultural Transformation Agency (JATA), with immediate effect.
The appointment was announced in a statement signed by the Secretary to the Government of Jigawa State, Mr. Bala Ibrahim.
Prior to his new role, Dr. Saifullahi served as the Technical Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture. He is an accomplished expert in applied economics, with over 15 years of experience in teaching, research, and administration—specializing in agricultural economics.
His academic focus includes livelihood and natural resource economics, agricultural value chains, and data management. Dr. Saifullahi has played a significant role in academia, serving as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Extension and Management at Bilyaminu Usman Polytechnic, Hadejia. There, he mentored a generation of future agricultural professionals.
He holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Bayero University, Kano, and has authored over 30 scholarly journal articles and conference papers. He is also the author of the book Farm Planning: Principles and Application.
Beyond academia, Dr. Umar is a seasoned consultant with a robust portfolio that includes collaborations with international and national organizations such as the African Development Bank, GIZ, and World Bank-supported projects, as well as the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.
In his previous role as Technical Adviser on Agriculture, he led sector coordination and reforms aimed at revitalizing Jigawa’s agricultural landscape. His expertise in agricultural value chain analysis has been instrumental in enhancing productivity, improving livelihoods, and delivering sustainable development outcomes across multiple agricultural sub-sectors.
Dr. Umar's diverse experience and technical capacity are expected to play a critical role in advancing the mission of the Jigawa State Agricultural Transformation Agency.
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