JIGAWA’S AGRICULTURAL VISION IS ANCHORED ON LONG-TERM SYSTEMS, NOT QUICK WINS -GOV NAMADI

Governor Malam Umar Namadi has declared that Jigawa State’s agricultural development agenda is resolutely anchored on building enduring systems that will deliver sustainable impact beyond the lifespan of his administration, rather than pursuing short-term or adhoc gains. The governor asserted this during a high-level strategic meeting between the Jigawa State Government and the Development Sovereign Group (DSG), convened to co-design and accelerate the implementation of high-impact agricultural transformation projects across the state. The technical session, co-led by Governor Namadi himself and Dr. Khalid Bomba, renowned development economist and Chief Executive Officer of the Development Sovereign Group, manifested a critical shift from policy formulation to hands-on co-creation of scalable, investable agricultural solutions. The core issue of the engagement was the operationalization of Jigawa’s agricultural master plan through the Jigawa Agricultural Transformation Agency (JATA), with discussions focused on entrenching sustainability, efficiency, and inclusiveness into the state’s agricultural systems. Building on the strategic partnership initiated last year, the meeting highlighted the “co-design” phase of reform—moving from advisory support to joint development of projects in key priority areas, which include the scaling of wheat and rice value chains, optimization of irrigation infrastructure, and deployment of data-driven tools to improve productivity and incomes for smallholder farmers across the state. Governor Namadi reiterated that the collaboration with DSG is designed to institutionalize reform and ensure long-term value creation for the people of Jigawa. “Our collaboration with the Development Sovereign Group is not just about advice; it is about co-creation. We are leveraging Dr. Bomba’s global expertise to ensure that our interventions in wheat, rice, and irrigation are world-class, sustainable, and directly beneficial to the common man in Jigawa. We are building a system that will outlast this administration and position Jigawa as Nigeria’s agricultural hub.” Dr. Khalid Bomba, whose work with the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) is globally cited as a benchmark for agricultural transformation, expressed confidence in Jigawa’s long-term plan trajectory. “Jigawa represents a unique opportunity in the West African region. The political will demonstrated by Governor Namadi, combined with the institutional strength of JATA, provides the right foundation for transformation. Our focus is on co-designing projects that are ambitious, implementable, and capable of delivering measurable impact at scale,” he noted. Also speaking, the Director General of the Jigawa Agricultural Transformation Agency (JATA), Dr. Saifullahi Umar, said the engagement reflects the state’s readiness to translate strategy into action. “This meeting represents a turning point for agricultural delivery in Jigawa. By co-designing projects with DSG, we are embedding global best practices and treating agriculture as both a business and a development tool. Our mandate is clear: to convert these designs into tangible outcomes for farmers and rural communities,” he stated.