By Austine Emmanuel, Kaduna
Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has called for urgent agricultural reforms to address the issues of poverty, unemployment, and insecurity, stressing that Nigeria’s decades-long neglect of the sector has significantly hindered economic growth and job creation.
Speaking as the Chief Host at a one-day lecture themed “Agricultural Perspective of Nigeria in the Last 64 Years of Independence” and “Securing Nigeria’s Future: Insights on the Renewed Hope Agenda,” held at Arewa House in Kaduna, the governor highlighted the critical need for substantial investment in agriculture to reposition the country for sustainable development.
The lecture, organised by the Arewa Think Tank, brought together key stakeholders from Northern Nigeria and beyond to assess the nation’s socio-economic and political challenges and chart a course for the future.
Governor Sani, who traced Nigeria’s economic struggles to the gradual neglect of agriculture, noted that farming once formed the backbone of the country’s economy. He acknowledged that while President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is designed to revitalise the economy, its implementation has come with temporary challenges and discomfort.
However, he reassured Nigerians that the country is “already turning the corner” and that economic conditions are gradually improving.
“While lamenting our neglect of the critical agricultural sector since independence, I posited that we must return to agriculture and invest heavily in it because it holds the key to addressing the challenges of poverty, unemployment, and insecurity,” Sani stated.
The governor praised President Tinubu’s commitment to agriculture, calling it “unparalleled in Nigeria’s history.” He highlighted the administration’s significant investments in mechanisation, support for smallholder farmers, and the establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development, which he believes will help position Nigeria as Africa’s leading livestock producer.
“President Tinubu is already showing us the way. His administration has prioritised agriculture and is investing heavily in mechanisation and the empowerment of smallholder farmers,” he said.
Governor Sani also used the occasion to highlight Kaduna State’s ongoing agricultural initiatives, underlining that agriculture is at the heart of his administration’s development agenda. He revealed that the 2025 budget has allocated nearly 10% to agriculture, covering areas such as mechanisation, irrigation, and crop protection to help farmers increase yields.
Additionally, he disclosed that Kaduna State is finalising arrangements for the Africa Quality Assurance Centre (AQAC), a project supported by AFREXIM Bank, which will provide essential testing, certification, and inspection services for agricultural products. According to Sani, this facility will boost Kaduna’s agricultural exports and position the state as West Africa’s leading hub for quality assurance in agriculture.
The governor also announced the commencement of the Special Agricultural Processing Zone (SAPZ), a partnership between the Kaduna State Government and the African Development Bank (AfDB). He revealed that the official groundbreaking for the project will take place in two weeks, with plans to provide vital infrastructure such as roads, power, and security, creating a larger market for farmers and driving value addition in agriculture.
