From Amina Lawal, Jigawa
The Jigawa State has taken a bold leap toward agricultural transformation as Governor Umar Namadi signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India’s Agrighar Group, following a two-week scoping study that mapped out new frontiers for rural agribusiness and women led agricultural innovation across ten local government areas.
Governor Namadi, who met with the Agrighar delegation led by Dr. Sowmini Sunkara on Saturday, described the partnership as a “game-changer” for the state’s economy, pledging immediate rollout of the agreement’s key components to empower farmers, revive idle processing centers, and connect local producers to broader markets.
“This partnership mirrors our vision for a productive, technology driven, and inclusive agricultural sector,” Namadi declared. “We’re not waiting implementation starts now.”
The Agrighar study identified strategic interventions including agribusiness incubation hubs, solar-powered processing facilities, and enhanced market linkages for crops like rice, groundnut, hibiscus, and sesame, as well as for dairy and fisheries.
Dr. Sowmini said the collaboration aims to make Jigawa a national model for inclusive agribusiness growth, emphasizing that farmers’ enthusiasm during the field visits was “a clear sign that the future of agriculture here is ready to be rewritten.”
Governor Namadi concluded with a call to action: “By 2030, Jigawa will not just feed Nigeria we will compete globally.”
