The Kaduna State Government, in partnership with AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria, has inaugurated the distribution of agricultural inputs under the Smallholder Farmers Programme aimed at boosting food security and supporting rural livelihoods across the state.
The event, held in Kaduna, the state capital, marked a key milestone in the state’s agricultural transformation agenda, with over 345 farmers from the 23 local government areas set to benefit from improved seeds, fertilisers, agrochemicals, compost, and water tanks, among other inputs.
In his remarks, Gov. Uba Sani said the initiative underscored the administration’s commitment to empowering smallholder farmers and strengthening the food supply chain.
Sani, who was represented at the event by his Chief of Staff, Sani Kila, said smallholder farmers were the backbone of the state’s agricultural system.
According to him, partnership with AUDA-NEPAD is not just a project but a people-centered investment into sustainable prosperity.
Sani added that Kaduna State remained the only state in Nigeria to meet the Malabo Declaration target and had earmarked over N10 billion for agriculture in the 2025 budget.
He urged the beneficiaries not to sell the inputs but to use them effectively to improve their productivity.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Murtala Dabo, in his welcome address, described the programme as a transition from training to implementation.
He stated that all the beneficiaries had undergone intensive training in good agronomic practices and climate-smart farming.
“This programme promotes both food and income security through field crop production maize with cowpea, maize with soybean and backyard vegetable farming like tomatoes and sweet pepper,” Dabo said.
He commended the Governor for providing the counterpart funding needed to access AUDA-NEPAD’s grant and affirmed Kaduna State’s readiness to collaborate with development partners.
The National Coordinator of AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria, Jabiru Tsauri, described the programme as “a platform for transformation” and praised the Governor’s leadership for enabling the programme to reach all 23 LGAs of the state.
“These inputs are not just farming materials they are instruments of hope, productivity, and transformation.”
According to him, by investing in smallholder farmers, they are investing in people, prosperity, and Africa’s future.
He emphasised the alignment of the programme with both President Bola Tinubu’s national agricultural agenda and the African Union’s vision for a climate-resilient and inclusive agricultural future.
In his remarks, Suleman Yusuf, who spoke on behalf of all the beneficiaries from Soba LGA, expressed gratitude to the government and AUDA-NEPAD, pledging to make judicious use of the inputs received.
“This support gives us hope and a real chance to change our lives. We will not waste it,” Yusuf vowed.
The programme is expected to improve yields, reduce post-harvest losses, and promote sustainable agricultural growth across Kaduna State.
By Hussaina Yakubu