The North West Development Commission (NWDC) and the Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA) have agreed to forge a strategic partnership aimed at transforming agricultural productivity across the North-West region of Nigeria.
The collaboration was formalized during a courtesy visit by Professor Shehu Abdullahi Ma’aji, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NWDC, to the HJRBDA headquarters in Kano on Wednesday.
Read Also: NWDC, NEMA strengthen partnership to boost disaster management in North-West
Read Also: Bichi, HJRBDA and Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on food security
Prof. Ma’aji, who led a delegation of the Commission’s top officials, briefed the management of the River Basin Authority on the Commission’s agricultural development vision.
He emphasized the need for access to arable land and water resources to attract both local and foreign investors to the region’s agricultural value chains.
Responding, Engr. Rabiu Suleiman Bichi, Managing Director of HJRBDA, expressed optimism about the partnership’s potential to unlock the region’s vast agricultural opportunities.
He revealed that Kano and Jigawa States alone boast over 2.4 million cubic meters of water reserves and 2.1 million hectares of arable land, with HJRBDA currently managing about 22,000 hectares directly.
Engr. Bichi also highlighted several of the Authority’s ongoing initiatives, including: Training of over 1,000 youths in greenhouse farming, deployment of 500 extension workers to support farmers at the grassroots, installation of industrial boreholes, and introduction of drip irrigation systems and smart farming technologies to enhance water efficiency and yield.
Both agencies pledged to establish a formal cooperation framework that will facilitate technology transfer, investor engagement, and sustainable agricultural development.
 and the Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA) have agreed to forge){kind=link}