Jigawa governor reaffirms commitment to Nigeria’s wheat sufficiency

Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to making the state the leading wheat producer in Nigeria.

The Governor’s spokesperson, Hamisu Gumel, in a statement said said Mr Namadi made the commitment at the 2025 Wheat Green Field Day held in Dabi, Ringim Local Government Area, of Jigawa State, to celebrate a successful wheat farming season.

The event, organised in partnership with the Flour Milling Association of Nigeria (FMAN), brought together wheat farmers, policymakers, development partners, and agricultural experts to assess progress and discuss strategies for boosting wheat production in the country.

The governor emphasised that Jigawa is at the forefront of the federal government’s efforts to achieve wheat self-sufficiency.

“Today, we gather not just to celebrate a harvest but to celebrate the remarkable strides Jigawa State has made in transforming our agricultural landscape, particularly in wheat production. We stand here on the fertile fields of Jigawa, a testament to the hard work, dedication, and resilience of our farmers,” he stated.

“Jigawa State has emerged as a leading producer of wheat in Nigeria. From cultivating 55,000 hectares in the 2023/2024 cropping season to an impressive 80,000 hectares in 2024/2025, our growth is undeniable. This remarkable achievement underscores our commitment to agricultural development and our belief in the promise of this sector to achieve food security, transform our economy, and significantly promote inclusive economic growth, for which our teeming farmers would be major beneficiaries.”

Mr Namadi said the state is committed to achieving wheat self-sufficiency by the year 2030 through the introduction of various initiatives and programs that are aimed at modernizing agriculture, attracting youth, and boosting productivity.

“Our vision is ambitious yet achievable: we aim to cultivate 500,000 hectares of wheat by 2030. This target is firmly aligned with our 12-Point Development Agenda and our Agricultural Transformation Agenda. We are confident that through strategic investments, technological advancements, and continued collaboration, we will realize this goal.”

“Let me take this opportunity to inform the Honorable Minister and all our partners in the journey to agricultural transformation that we have gone far in our plan to establish the Jigawa Farm Mechanization Company, which will cover all thirty constituencies in the state. Already, 300 tractors, 60 combine harvesters, and other implements, including planters and thrashers, have been procured to be launched hopefully within the first quarter of this year.”

“This is in line with our commitment to promote agricultural mechanization, reduce farm drudgery, make agriculture attractive to our teeming youths, and boost production. Already, the 30 qualified young men selected from each of the 30 state constituencies in the state have received rigorous training as master tractor technicians in China in our effort to ensure effective maintenance once the programme is launched.”

Governor Namadi assured farmers that his administration would continue to provide access to improved seed varieties, irrigation infrastructure, subsidized inputs, and extension services to enhance their productivity as he acknowledged FMAN’s contribution to wheat farming in Jigawa, particularly in ensuring access to high-yield seeds and guaranteed offtake agreements.

“We are also particularly pleased with the private-public partnership arrangements with the Flour Millers Association of Nigeria, supporting the cultivation of 10,000 hectares. We would continue to partner with FMAN and other critical stakeholders in pursuit of our Agricultural Transformation Agenda, which, we firmly believe, will strengthen the effectiveness and inclusivity of the wheat supply chain project in Jigawa State. We also sincerely appreciate IDH’s technical assistance and collaboration with FMAN, which is very critical to the implementation of our wheat development strategy and attaining the goals of the wheat supply chain.”

In his speech, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Kyari commended Jigawa State for its proactive approach to wheat production, describing it as a model for other states.

“I am glad that the state continues to break its own record in doing well amongst its peers in every sphere of agricultural development. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to His Excellency for the remarkable successes achieved in the preparation of farmlands, distribution of agricultural inputs in Jigawa State, in the ongoing 2024, 2025 dry season farming under the African Development Bank’s National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro-Pocket Programme in Dabi, Ringim,” the Minister said.