The Kano State Government has released the sum of N500 million as counterpart fund for Sustainable Power and Irrigation Programme to boost agricultural productivity and food security in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government also evolved an Agribusiness Forum to commemorate the above gesture.
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Dr Danjuma Mahmoud, Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, disclosed the development at a sensitisation workshop in Kano on Friday.
The workshop is on the establishment of a Multi-Stakeholders Agribusiness Forum (MAF) under the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme.
NAN reports that SAPZ programme is a transformative initiative that seeks to unlock the full potentials of agriculture by driving value addition, attracting investments, creating jobs and strengthening linkages across the value chain.
Mahmoud, represented by Dr Bashir Sunusi, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, said the initiative aligned with Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir-Yusuf’s commitment to promoting irrigation, supporting farmers, and strengthening food security in the state.
He explained that the governor had demonstrated this through concrete actions, including the recruitment of 1,038 agricultural extension workers, to enhance productivity and improve livelihoods.
“This effort fully aligned with the vision of the present administration to create an enabling environment for both local and external investment, promote sustainable agriculture, and improve the welfare of our people,” Mahmoud said.
In his speech, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security said the gesture represented a pivotal step towards unlocking the full potentials of agriculture in Kano.
The minister, represented by Dr Olubunmi Ademola-Iluromi of Federal Department of Development Partners, Project,
said the forum would unite diverse stakeholders, policymakers, private sector, civil society, financial institutions, and rural farmers to drive industrialisation, innovation, and economic resilience.
Also speaking, Dr Kabir Yusuf, National Programme Coordinator of SAPZ, represented by Abel Ameh, Rural Institutions Development Specialist, SAPZ, described the forum as a platform to build a new, modern, sustainable and inclusive agricultural economy.
Similarly, Alhaji Aminu Ilyasu, Coordinator of SAPZ in Kano State, said the forum would serve as a collective platform to co-create solutions, share insights, and strengthen collaboration across the agricultural value chain.
The Chairman, Kano State House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim-Karaye, pledged legislative support to provide enabling laws and sustain partnerships that would strengthen agribusiness activities.
NAN also reports that the SAPZ programme is jointly supported by the Federal Government, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
