By Muhd D Haidar
Jigawa State Governor, Umar A Namadi has officially launched the 2026 Wet Season Agricultural Support Programme, unveiling one of its most ambitious farming intervention packages aimed at supporting 90,000 farmers across the state.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony Namadi described agriculture as the cornerstone of his administration’s development agenda, reaffirming his government’s commitment to making every public investment in the sector count.
The governor explained that the intervention was designed to ensure farmers begin the wet season with timely access to quality inputs, equipment, extension services, and financing, while addressing challenges such as rising production costs and limited access to agricultural resources.
He said: “Under the programme, 50,000 farmers will receive fertilizer support directly from the Jigawa State Government, while another 40,000 farmers will benefit through a partnership involving the Bank of Agriculture and StarAgri.
“The initiative also includes the distribution of 6,000 high-capacity solar-powered water pumps to expand irrigation and reduce energy costs, alongside the deployment of 1,185 motorcycles to strengthen agricultural extension services across farming communities”.
Governor Namadi added that the programme builds on the gains recorded over the past three years, during which his administration has consistently invested in wet and dry season farming, mechanisation, irrigation development, agricultural financing, and extension delivery.
According to him, more than 250,000 farmers have already benefited from various government interventions, including farm inputs, mechanised services, irrigation support, and targeted programmes for youth and women participating in agribusiness.
He highlighted several achievements recorded under the state’s agricultural transformation agenda, including the deployment of 1,700 extension agents, the acquisition of 450 tractors and 70 combine harvesters, the establishment of 20 modern greenhouses and four climate-smart agriculture centres, the rehabilitation of the Kuda and Dembo dams, and the development of 200 five-in-one rice commercial processing clusters spread across the state’s three senatorial districts.
The governor noted that these investments are aimed at reducing the burden of manual farming, increasing productivity, expanding irrigation, promoting value addition, and making agriculture more attractive to young people and women.
He emphasised that government alone cannot transform the agricultural sector, Namadi commended the Federal Government, the Bank of Agriculture, StarAgri, development partners, financial institutions, farmer cooperatives, and other stakeholders for supporting efforts to improve farmers’ access to finance, technology, inputs, and markets.
Governor Namadi reiterated his administration’s long-term vision, stressed that Jigawa is positioning itself to become Nigeria’s leading food basket and a major hub for mechanisation, irrigation, seed production, agro-processing, climate-smart agriculture, and agribusiness investment.
He expressed optimism that every fertilizer distributed, every solar pump installed, and every extension visit would translate into improved harvests, higher incomes, and greater economic opportunities for farming households across the state.
The governor concluded by praying for abundant rainfall, bumper harvests, and continued peace and prosperity for Jigawa State and Nigeria before formally declaring the 2026 Wet Season Agricultural Support Programme open.
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