***As NUJ Honours Him Governor of the Year on Agriculture
Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State says his administration is on a mission to turn farming into enterprise, a driver of jobs, wealth, and industrial growth.
This is just as the state pushes toward becoming Nigeria’s new model for agricultural transformation.
The governor spoke in Dutse after receiving the Governor of the Year Award on Agriculture and being decorated as Grand Patron of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Jigawa Council.
His chief Press secretary, Hamisu Muhammed Gumel, in a statement indicated that the award was presented by NUJ’s national leadership led by President Comrade Alhassan Yahya, in recognition of his groundbreaking policies in agriculture and rural development.
He quoted the Governor thus,
“This award belongs to the people of Jigawa, Our farmers, our civil servants, and even the journalists who keep us accountable are all part of this success story.”
Namadi’s administration has placed agriculture at the heart of Jigawa’s economic blueprint, noting that it contributes 46 percent of the state’s GDP and sustains nearly 90 percent of its people.
His goal, he said, is to move farmers from subsistence to surplus — from growers to agripreneurs.
“We want every farmer who cultivates one hectare today to be able to expand to three tomorrow,” he explained. “Our role as government is to make that possible — through credit, technology, and smart partnerships.”
Jigawa’s farmlands are now witnessing rapid modernization. The state has deployed 300 tractors, 60 combine harvesters, and hundreds of threshers, boom sprayers, and ploughs, supported by the Jigawa Mechanization Company Limited to manage and digitally track their use.
Namadi said the initiative is already delivering measurable gains in wheat, sesame, and hibiscus production nationwide, also in rice production, with cultivated area expanded from 87,000 to 350,000 hectares
According to him, the Yields have doubled, with some farmers recording up to 8 tons per hectare
“These are not forecasts,” the governor emphasized. “They are real results on the ground, transforming livelihoods and reshaping rural economies.”
Accepting his investiture as NUJ Grand Patron, Governor Namadi praised the media’s role in deepening democracy and accountability.
“Journalists help us stay true to our promises,” he said. “They amplify citizens’ voices and bridge the gap between leadership and the people.”
NUJ President Comrade Yahya lauded Namadi’s pragmatic leadership style, describing Jigawa’s progress in agriculture, education, and infrastructure as “evidence of policy with purpose.” He hinted that the NUJ may host its next national meeting in Jigawa, to allow journalists witness “the transformation happening in real time.”
As the event drew to a close, the mood in Government House was one of optimism — that Jigawa’s future may well be written not in oil, but in the soil.