The African Development Bank has praised the Jigawa State Government for what it describes as a clear and well-prepared agricultural development plan, marking the state as a priority partner in the drive to expand agricultural industrialization across Nigeria.
The Acting Vice President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Martin Fregene, commended the Jigawa State Government for its strong vision, technical readiness and structured plan for agricultural transformation.
He assured Governor Umar Namadi of the Bank’s full backing going forward, stressing that Jigawa stands out as a strategic partner due to its focused approach to agricultural expansion, irrigation development, and value-chain modernisation.
Dr. Fregene said the Bank is committed to working closely with the state to unlock financing, scale ongoing programmes and support initiatives that will create jobs, expand processing capacity and reinforce food security in the North and across the country.
Governor Umar Namadi who led a delegation of senior agricultural and investment experts to the African Development Bank headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, secured the state a strong commitments for funding and technical support to advance its agricultural transformation agenda.
The team held wide-ranging talks with the Acting Vice President of the AfDB, Dr. Martin Fregene, focusing on key programmes expected to accelerate Jigawa’s food production capacity and strengthen national food security.
Governor Namadi was accompanied by the Director-General of the Jigawa Agricultural Transformation Agency, Dr. Saifullahi Umar; DG Invest Jigawa, Hajiya Aisha Mujaddadi; and other senior advisers.
Discussions centred on five strategic areas critical to the state’s agricultural growth:
* Preparedness for the next phase of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and the digital Agro-Pocket programme, aimed at ensuring real farmers get direct subsidies and quality inputs.
* Expansion of Jigawa’s Irrigation Master Plan to enable all-year farming and reduce reliance on rainfall.
* Fast-tracking Phase II of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones expected to boost processing capacity, reduce post-harvest losses and provide thousands of youth jobs.
* Strengthening women-focused agricultural value chains, especially in rice and vegetables.
* Modernising livestock production to enhance dairy output, expand grazing models and reduce farmer-herder conflict.
Governor Namadi said the partnership marks a turning point for the state.
“We are aligning Jigawa’s 12-point development agenda with AfDB’s Feed Africa Strategy.
This will help us activate our irrigation plan, expand cluster farming and build economic zones that create jobs and secure our food future,” he said.
Dr. Martin Fregene described Jigawa as a “priority partner” for the Bank due to its clear plans and strong leadership.
He assured the Governor of continuous technical and financial support.
According to Jigawa State records, agriculture contributes over 70% of the state’s employment base, while national data shows Nigeria spends an estimated ₦4 trillion annually on food imports, mainly rice, wheat and dairy products.
The engagement also forms part of Jigawa’s ongoing “Rice Mission” in Côte d’Ivoire, designed to study advanced rice-processing systems and replicate successes at home.
The AfDB partnership places Jigawa on a strategic path to become a major food-production hub. If the commitments materialise as expected, analysts project more irrigation coverage, higher yields, wider processing capacity and sustainable jobs positioning Jigawa as a key driver in Nigeria’s quest for food sufficiency.
