In this piece, BODE OLAGOKE, who was in Kano recently, writes on efforts by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje administration to reposition the agricultural sector, not only to feed the state but the nation as a whole
For years, the calls to look inward and diversify the mono-economy Nigeria solely relied on were not adhered to by the successive administrations, both at federal and the state levels but the recent fall in the price of oil could be described as a blessing in disguise as some state governors are now giving the needed attentions to the agricultural sector.
For Kano state, under Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the aim is to grow the sector to the highest standard and be able to feed over 170 million Nigerians in a short while.
Already, the state is the largest producer of wheat. Nigeria has attained what was termed unattainable with Agricultural Performance Survey (APS) conducted in partnership with National Agricultural Extension and Research liaison Services (NAERLS) of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, rated the state as viable, resourceful and self-reliant.
In a recent visit, our correspondent in company of other senior journalists, took a tour of the state and discover that some of the collaborations being champion by the Kano Agricultural Agency with prominent local and international organisations like United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Dangote group of Companies, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), IAR, NAERLS, NAPRI, SG 2000, GIZ, ZASTAL, IITA, ICRISAT, CDA, MFB, ABCOA, GEMs programs among others, are already yielding the expected results.
For example, KNARDA’s collaboration with ICRISAT in a project tagged “Groundnut up scaling in Kano state” in seven selected LGAs of the state, which is meant to enhance farmer’s knowledge on improved groundnut production techniques, seed production and marketing, access to small scale processing technology, as well as aflatoxin management practices. The project so far established seven hectares seed production plots and trained selected extension agents across the state.
Available records also reveal that KNARDA entered into collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in a project tagged “Cowpea up scaling”. The project is to showcase best varieties of cowpea to farmers, thereby increasing their productivity. The project also encourages community seed production at community levels. The project procured and distributed inputs worth of NGN 2,000,000 to farmers across the state free of charge.
KNARDA and ICRISAT entered into a collaborative project tagged “Tropical legume iii cowpea seed system” with the purpose of bringing about increase in production and productivity of cowpea in a bid to attain sufficiency in nutritional value, improve farmers’ welfare and income. Today, this collaborations have recorded so much achievements, notably is the training of 1050 farmers and mobilization of farmers across 30 communities covered by the project.
Also, the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) entered into collaboration with KNARDA known as WAAPP-KNARDA Project. A lot of achievements have been recorded in this regard, notably are, disbursement of the sum of NGN 4, 372,222.62 as assistance to local seed producers; training of 72 farmers and extension agents on safe and effective use of pesticides, environmental issues, and seed certification.
There is also Commercial Agriculture (CADP) and Fadama iii additional financing Projects that are World Bank assisted carried out several activities and recorded tremendous successes especially in the area of roads construction and empowerment of women and youths in the state under the current administration.
These collaborative efforts of the Ganduje administration has not only led to recruitment of 729 extension workers that are not in existence in other states across the federation, training and retraining of the newly recruited extension workers jointly with national and international development agencies scuch as IITA, ICRISAT, SG 2000, Markets ii, CDA among others have also put the state ahead of many others.
To encourage and bring out the best from the recruited extension workers, the Ganduje led state government approved distribution of motorcycles on loan basis and on 40% discount to the staff.
Moreso, disilling of Watari Irrigation Project in Bagwai LGA, Training of 60 youths in artificial insemination( AI) at the republic of Turkey, disbursement of 16 Motorcycles courtesy of GIZ (NGO), distribution of 5000 units of water pumps to fadama farmers free of charge and provision of 1000 units of tube wells and wash bores to fadama farmers free of charge which is still on-going, are laudable achievements which can be verified.
But after the comprehensive tour, governor Ganduje, when asked whether the state has capacity to feed the Nation, revealed some of the efforts already on ground to reach the goal.
According to him, “I believe we are the largest producers of wheat in this country. Just last few days, we spent the whole day in the farm harvesting, visiting the farms, we are lucky that we have infrastructure, irrigation infrastructure built by the first governor of Kano state of blessed memory. A foresight man who constructed major dams in the state and that is what is giving us an advantage and to add to that we also provided some level of mechanization.
“You find out that agriculture is now throughout the year not only for the raining season. If you go to the farms you will see thousands of men and women in the farm that don’t even come to the city at all because they have something doing in the farm. We are encouraging agriculture and we will continue to do that.
“On Tomato, we are still having some problems and we have requested Mr. president to come to our aid because up till now there is no strong fiscal policy of the importation of tomato paste, we succeeded in getting the richest man in Africa who is a son of the soil here to establish a tomato paste factory but the importation of tomato paste, the farmers are getting it difficult to fix the prices, so I believe the federal government is working on that.
“What we did first when we came in was to identify who and who has the actual power. We came together and whatever enabling environment we create, we do it directly with the farmers and also we identify those who are producing wheat, discussed their problem of improved seeds and problems of mechanization. So if you seat with the farmers you will hear the whole story, you will see where you can come in, that is where we are succeeding,” Ganduje revealed.
Not satisfy with the efforts put in place, the Ganduje administration has also announced an economic summit scheduled for the 24 of April, with so aim of discussing how agriculture could be an answer to economic development in line with the diversification agenda of the federal government.
The governor said “agriculture is the answer to the economic development of Nigeria, we have invested so much in agriculture. we have succeeded in convincing our farmers that now it is their time.
“We are happy with especially with those producing rice, wheat and tomato. We have opened our doors for those who are ready to partner with us to move our state forward.”
