BREAKING: “We must return to agriculture to address poverty, unemployment” – Gov Uba Sani

Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani has called for urgent agricultural reforms to combat poverty, unemployment, and insecurity, emphasizing that Nigeria’s decades-long neglect of the sector has severely 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, Kaduna, the governor stressed the need for massive investment in agriculture to reposition the country for sustainable development.

The lecture, organized by the Arewa Think Tank, brought together prominent stakeholders from Northern Nigeria and beyond to review the country’s socio-economic and political challenges and chart a path for the future.

Governor Sani, who traced Nigeria’s economic struggles to the gradual neglect of agriculture, noted that farming once served as the country’s economic backbone.

He acknowledged that while President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is designed to revitalize the economy, its implementation has come with temporary challenges and pains.

He however, assured Nigerians that the country is “already turning the corner” and that economic conditions are 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, describing it as “unparalleled in Nigeria’s history.” He highlighted the administration’s massive investments in mechanization, support for smallholder farmers, and creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development, which he believes will position Nigeria as Africa’s top livestock producer.

“President Tinubu is already showing us the way. His administration has prioritized agriculture and is investing heavily in mechanization and the empowerment of smallholder farmers,” he said.

Governor Sani used the platform to highlight Kaduna State’s ongoing agricultural initiatives, emphasizing that agriculture is at the heart of his administration’s development agenda.

He revealed that the 2025 budget has allocated close to 10% to agriculture, covering mechanization, irrigation, and crop protection to help farmers increase yields.

He further disclosed that Kaduna State is finalizing arrangements for the Africa Quality Assurance Centre (AQAC), a project supported by AFREXIM Bank, which will provide vital testing, certification, and inspection services for agricultural products.

According to him, this facility will enhance 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) as he revealed that the official groundbreaking of the project will take place in two weeks, with the vision to provide essential infrastructure like roads, power, and security, creating a larger market for farmers and boosting value addition in agriculture.