Katsina State Governor Dikko Umar Radda says his administration has made significant investments in agriculture, spending over N21 billion on fertilisers, equipment, and inputs during the 2024 farming season. The move is aimed at uplifting the majority rural population, which he says heavily depends on agriculture for survival.
Radda disclosed this in Abuja while congratulating the newly appointed Executive Secretary and CEO of the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), Mohammed Abu Ibrahim. He said the state had purchased more than 400,000 bags of fertiliser distributed across all polling units in Katsina.
Highlighting the scale of agricultural involvement, the governor explained that over 90 percent of Katsina’s population is engaged in farming or its value chain, and most MSMEs in the state are also agriculturally inclined—ranging from production to processing.
“When you invest in agriculture, you are investing in about 90% of your people, who are living in abject poverty in the rural areas,” Radda stated. “Even our MSMEs are mostly agricultural enterprises. Supporting agriculture means directly supporting our people.”
He also revealed that the government had conducted a baseline survey of farmers across the state and established an agricultural development programme unit to coordinate interventions from development partners and government agencies.
Meanwhile, NADF chief Mohammed Abu Ibrahim expressed readiness to partner with Katsina State to boost irrigation infrastructure and farmer empowerment. He said a pilot project would be implemented at Safke Dam in Katsina to serve as a national model for sustainable agricultural development.
Both leaders stressed the critical role agriculture plays in Nigeria’s economic future and the need to expand opportunities for farmers across the value chain.
