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Sokoto and Niger states have expressed their determination to partner with the federal government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security for collective efforts on food security and agricultural development.
Both governors gave this assurance during their courtesy visits to the two ministers in the ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Abuja.
Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State expressed concern over the impact of banditry on food security in the state, just as he also urged the minister to establish a monitoring committee to prevent input diversion and ensure genuine farmers’ access to subsidised government inputs.
Aliyu decried the security challenges faced by farmers, emphasising the need for security personnel to escort them to their farms. He said a situation where farmers must seek permission before accessing their farmlands, stating it is “unbecoming.”
To address this, the Sokoto government plans to establish a committee in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Digital Economy to identify genuine farmers. Governor Sokoto highlighted instances of diverted trucks during fertilizer distribution, underscoring the importance of a robust mechanism to ensure inputs reach the intended beneficiaries.
Addressing the ministers, the Niger state governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, revealed that his State had attracted over $1billion investment in agricultural mechanisation and technology in the last six months of his administration.
He pointed out that the state has no reason to be poor as the State is endowed with arable land, water resources and dams for agricultural purposes.
The governor said: “Niger State has offered itself as a pilot State for agricultural development in Nigeria.
“We have attracted over $1billion investment in agricultural mechanisation and technology in the last six months.
“We have come here today to further reiterate Mr. President’s commitment to food security as a priority to production in agriculture, as it will create employment, conserve foreign exchange and ensure self- sufficiency in food production.
“We have no other way to go than to go the way of agriculture. Production, cultivation and animal husbandry and aquaculture are the main focus of our government
“As a state, we are sitting on 76,000 square kilometres of arable land, four hydro- power dams, 94 earth dams and water dams with over 100 warehouses for storage of agricultural produce.
“So, we have no reason to be poor. Therefore, we are poised and committed to making sure that in this dry season farming, in the federal government’s quest to cultivate 500, 000 hectares, Niger State has provided one million hectares.
“So we have doubled the ambition of the federal government. For dry season farming, we are preparing 250,000 hectares. And as of today, we have prepared over 100, hectares.
“We have invested so much in irrigation and we are deploying irrigation pumps and some of them are renewable energy, as we understand the need for us to reduce carbon emission.”
Earlier, Senator Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, commended both governors for taking interest in investing in the agric sector.
He said the ministry is aware the agricultural sector in Sokoto State has experienced remarkable achievements since taking office.
“Your effort towards the provision of Agricultural Input Support to farmers in the State is well noted. Distribution of assorted fertilizer to farmers for free in all the 23 Local Government across the state, provision of free assorted seeds and agro chemical to farmers for the 2023/2024 dry season farming and the recently constructed 450 hectares Kware Irrigation Scheme (with payment of compensation to the affected farmers) attests to progressive governance and then makes it a statement of fact that Sokoto has a Frontline Position in the Renewed Hope for Food Security Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
On Niger State, he said, the state has the largest landmass in the country, with abundant water resources and vast arable land.
Kyari pointed out that the “fundamental governance issue is to translate these agricultural potentials into sustainable reality, against the backdrop of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Renewed Hope Agenda with great expectation for food security and related matters.”
He called for partnerships between the federal government and state governments, adding that “We believe that a firm handshake between the two tiers of government at the minimum should produce salutary results in our collective quest for food security and attendant value chain benefits.”
While thanking the governor for his efforts in agricultural development, the minister expressed confidence that through the continued collaboration and dedication of the two tiers of government that “we will overcome current challenges we face and achieve our collective goals for a more prosperous agricultural sector in Nigeria.”