How Jigawa is leading Nigeria’s food security efforts

Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, says his state is leading the efforts towards food security in Nigeria through its investments in the agricultural sector.

The governor stated this while hosting a delegation from the Presidency at the Government House Dutse, on Thursday.

The delegation was led by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, and consisted of the media aides of President Bola Tinubu and heads of media agencies.

Governor Namadi said the state has made investments in wheat, hibiscus, sesame, and gum Arabic production, and is playing a pivotal role in Nigeria’s journey towards food security and economic prosperity.

Mr Namadi highlighted the state’s agricultural prospects which he noted made the federal government to flag off the National Wheat Development Programme in the state last November.

He noted that the federal government will cultivate 100,000 hectares of wheat this dry season, as part of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Mr Namadi said Jigawa State allocated 40,000 hectares of land to the wheat production programme, which the governor, said is aligned with his administration’s 12-point agenda.

“It’s a pleasure to showcase our strides in agriculture and food security to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in the attainment of food security.

“We’re happy to witness the commissioning of “Fadama Radio”, a farmer’s enlightenment station in Auyo by the Federal Government, as part of a commitment to agricultural education and empowerment. With our abundant agricultural lands and dedicated leadership, Jigawa State is poised to lead Nigeria’s food security efforts”, Mr Namadi said.

The minister, Mr Idris, in his remarks, said he was impressed with the success of the federal government’s dry season farming initiative in Jigawa.

The minister said his team visited Auyo Local Government Area to see the efforts rice and wheat growers were making to ensure food security in the country.

“It is not out of nothing that the president changed the name of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security because it is only when you have food security that you can have any kind of security in this nation,” Mr Idris said.

He said his visit to Jigawa was a clear demonstration of President Tinubu’s commitment towards addressing the problems associated with food security, adding that his team was also in Auyo to confirm that the federal government’s interventions were put to use as designed.

He called on Nigerians to go back to the farm and enjoy the federal government’s support in the entire agriculture value chain for the mass production of food in the country.

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“You are aware of the kind of effort that the federal government is making through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in terms of support for inputs, soft loans and everything the farmers require so that they will achieve self-sufficiency.

“A few years ago the story wasn’t like this, and with the kind of intervention that the federal government is doing Nigeria will attain its desired objective of food security,” the minister said.

With Mr Idris in the delegation were the heads of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ali M Ali; Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Salihu Dembos, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Mohammed Bulama, and Lanre Issa-Onilu of the National Orientation Agency (NOA).

Others were Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Media, and Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, also a media aide to the president.