Kano State governor, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf has highlighted the state’s significant strides in agricultural development at the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) in Kigali, Rwanda, reaffirming Kano’s commitment to sustainable agricultural initiatives.
Speaking at a side event organised by the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) and its partners on Monday, September 2, 2024, the governor emphasised the importance of implementing climate-smart actions and fostering private sector partnerships to ensure the long-term sustainability and resilience of Kano’s agricultural sector.
Represented by the Kano State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hon. Dr. Danjuma Mahmoud, Yusuf praised the collaborative efforts of organizations, particularly the Sasakawa Africa Association, in advancing food security and promoting agricultural transformation in Kano and Nigeria at large. He specifically highlighted the pivotal role of the Kano State Agropastoral Development Project (KSADP), an initiative supported by the Islamic Development Bank and the Lives and Livelihoods Funds, which is driving the state’s agricultural development agenda while embracing climate-smart practices to ensure sustainability.
In his remarks, Yusuf stated, “The Kano State Agropastoral Development Project (KSADP), funded by the Islamic Development Bank and the Lives and Livelihoods Funds, has achieved massive gains. These efforts align with our government’s agricultural development agenda and feed into our blueprint to reach smallholder farmers. We are opening new frontiers in agriculture and sustainability, and we are engaging the private sector.”
Recognizing the vital role of the private sector in fostering agricultural growth, Governor Yusuf emphasised the state’s dedication to expanding opportunities for agricultural development and involving private enterprises in climate mitigation initiatives. He commended the Sasakawa Africa Association for its support in crop protection and production, noting significant yield increases in rice, millet, sorghum and maize due to the adoption of advanced technologies and climate-smart agricultural practices by Kano’s farmers.
The governor lauded the Sasakawa Africa Association for its contributions to strengthening the state’s crop value chain, describing it as a valuable partner in crop protection and production. “Efforts are paying off. In Kano State, we’ve seen yield increases in rice, millet, sorghum and maize, and our farmers are adopting new technologies and climate-smart agricultural practices,” he explained.
President of the Sasakawa Africa Association, Dr. Makoto Kitanaka expressed optimism in his welcome remarks, encouraging partners to use the discussions as an opportunity to review approaches and channel investments for greater impact. Country director of Sasakawa Africa Association Nigeria, Dr. Godwin Atser also spoke, highlighting the impact of the KSADP and emphasising the crucial role of agriculture in addressing rural poverty. Atser stressed the need for sustainable agricultural transformation to alleviate poverty, noting that significant progress in the agricultural sector could have a transformative impact on poverty reduction while mitigating climate change.
Atser lamented, “Sadly, Nigerian farmers are where Indian farmers were in the early 1970s. Low productivity is a major cause of rural poverty. We need to grow the agricultural sector to have a transformational impact on tackling poverty. Agriculture contributes 20 to 30 per cent of the GDP of several countries in Africa. So, if we achieve agricultural transformation as a country, 50 per cent of our problems will be solved.”
He reiterated the commitment of the Sasakawa Africa Association, supported by the Nippon Foundation, to assist the government in achieving food, nutrition, and income security for smallholder farmers in Nigeria by promoting climate-smart technologies and the adoption of regenerative, market-oriented and nutrition-sensitive agricultural practices.
A statement by communication officer of Sasakawa Africa Association Nigeria, Moses Nongoatse noted that the side event, themed “Food Systems Transformation: Emerging Insights from Mega Initiatives,” convened key stakeholders and leaders of organisations working towards food system transformation in Africa. Participants included representatives from the Sasakawa Africa Association headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, its strategic partnership office in Ethiopia and country offices in Uganda, Mali, Nigeria and Ethiopia. Other participating organizations included the Kano State Agropastoral Development Project (KSADP), the Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KNARDA), the building an economically sustainable integrated cassava seed system, phase 2 (BASICS-II), AGRA, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Islamic Development Bank, and the African Development Bank. The discussions highlighted the collaborative efforts of various organisations and underscored the potential of sustainable agricultural transformation in addressing poverty and fostering long-term food security and development.
The Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) is a key platform for African agriculture and food systems, bringing together stakeholders to take practical actions and share lessons to move African food systems forward. The forum is a multi-sector platform comprising 26 leading partners in African agriculture, all focused on putting farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economies. Over 5,000 delegates, including heads of governments and institutions from across the globe, are attending the AFSF 2024 forum, themed “Innovate, Accelerate, Scale: Delivering Food Systems Transformation in a Digital and Climate Era,” from September 2 to 6, 2024.
