Governor Namadi: Jigawa on track to produce 50% of Nigeria’s rice by 2030

Governor Namadi Umar of Jigawa State has said his administration is pursuing bold agricultural reforms that will enable the state to produce half of Nigeria’s rice requirement by 2030.

He made this statement an interview with Punch to mark his second year in office.

“Our target is ambitious: by 2030, Jigawa will produce 50 per cent of Nigeria’s rice requirement. With the trajectory we are on, this goal is achievable, Insha’Allah,” he said.

Namadi said cultivated land in the state has expanded from about 70,000 hectares in previous years to more than 220,000 hectares in 2024, with projections of over 300,000 hectares in 2025.

He attributed the progress to interventions such as a transparent fertiliser distribution system and innovations in mechanisation.

The governor disclosed that a new Jigawa State Farm Mechanisation Company, run as a public-private partnership, was created to provide farmers with subsidised modern equipment.

Sixty service centres have been established, each with 10 tractors, two combined harvesters, and GPS-tracked implements accessible through online booking or local agents.

“This has ended the old system where farmers relied on horses or cattle to plough their fields. With mechanisation, farmers now cultivate more land in less time, leading to higher yields and better income,” he said.

Namadi, who described agriculture as the backbone of Jigawa’s economy, said the reforms were part of a 12-point agenda developed after a baseline survey covering education, health, agriculture, economy, water supply, environment, and social security.

“Without data, governance is guesswork, and we did not want to operate blindly. With the baseline results in hand, we designed and began to implement our 12-point agenda, which covers virtually every critical sector of development,” he explained.

He noted that measurable results are already being recorded in several areas, including internally generated revenue (IGR), where Jigawa has risen from one of the lowest-performing states to one of the fastest-growing.

“Reforms are working, and for us, governance is service. Our mandate is to use every opportunity to take Jigawa to the next level,” Namadi said.