The Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project has supported more than four hundred and seventy thousand smallholder farmers across all forty-four local government areas, marking one of the state’s largest agricultural interventions in recent years. The disclosure was made in Kano during the distribution of agricultural machinery and equipment to beneficiaries under the project’s crop component, implemented by the Sasakawa Africa Association.
According to the project team, the intervention has driven broad agricultural transformation and strengthened food and nutrition security across the state, achieving more than eighty percent of its annual target. The project, which spans five years and is funded by the Islamic Development Bank, the Lives and Livelihoods Fund and the Kano State Government, was established to reduce poverty and boost food security among vulnerable farming households.
The technical partner overseeing the crop component was said to have exceeded expectations by improving farmer productivity, strengthening the seed system, reducing post-harvest losses, expanding market access and promoting climate-resilient agricultural practices. These activities, according to the project team, have helped thousands of smallholder farmers improve their income and scale their farming operations.
The project has procured ninety-eight tractors equipped with trailers, ploughs and harrows for distribution to beneficiaries. Ten have already been commissioned at the mechanisation centre, while several others were handed over during the event. In addition, hundreds of mini tractors and a wide range of crop reapers were rolled out to support farmers working across different value chains. The machinery is expected to boost productivity, reduce labour pressure and accelerate the shift toward modernised farming techniques across the state. Solar pumps were also introduced to significantly cut irrigation costs during dry-season farming, making production more affordable and profitable for farmers.
The state office overseeing the Agro-Pastoral Project noted that the machinery on display represented only a portion of the project’s activities, explaining that the initiative covers multiple interventions designed to uplift the livelihoods of farmers at different levels.
Farmers who received the equipment expressed deep appreciation, saying the support would expand their operations, enhance productivity and improve household income. Beneficiaries from different local government areas described the intervention as life-changing, particularly for families relying on small-scale farming as their primary source of livelihood.
