Former President Obasanjo to Chair High-Level Kano Agro Workshop

Kano State is gearing up to host a high-level workshop on agricultural transformation, scheduled for October 7 and 8. The workshop will be chaired by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and will focus on agricultural development through the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)-funded Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP).

The event is expected to attract significant attention, with 20 state governors and representatives from 10 African countries, alongside officials from IsDB’s Jeddah headquarters and leadership from the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) in Tokyo and the USA. The workshop will take place at the Kano State Government House and the field.

Organised by SAA in collaboration with IsDB and the Kano State government, the event is themed “Agricultural Transformation and What Works: Reflections from the Crop Value Chain of the Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP).” It aims to showcase the project’s successes and foster discussions on replicating similar policies across other states.

Governor Abba Yusuf will host Obasanjo and governors from several states, including Jigawa, Kaduna, Kwara, Benue, Gombe, Yobe, Zamfara, Niger, and Katsina.

Godwin Atser, SAA Nigeria’s country director, stated that the workshop would highlight the achievements of the KSADP, creating a platform for governors to network and explore potential IsDB funding for agricultural initiatives in their respective states.

“In the past three years, KSADP has strategically positioned Kano for sustainable agricultural growth through significant investments in climate-smart agriculture, livestock and dam development, post-harvest loss reduction, employment, poverty alleviation, and infrastructure,” Atser explained.

He emphasized that Kano’s farming communities have seen impressive improvements in productivity, livelihoods, and peaceful coexistence between crop and livestock farmers.

“We are honoured to have Mr. Obasanjo chair this event,” Atser added, praising the former president’s extensive experience in agricultural transformation in Nigeria and across Africa. He also commended Governor Yusuf’s commitment to agriculture as a driver of economic growth.

The two-day workshop will feature the launch of a large-scale mechanisation support initiative for Kano’s farmers, along with presentations by the IsDB on how the state accessed agricultural development financing. Among the attendees will be Mansur Mukhtar, former IsDB Vice President for Country Programmes, recently appointed by President Bola Tinubu as Chairman of the Bank of Industry (BOI).

Prominent figures such as former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of the Nippon Foundation, Amit Roy, SAA Board Chair, and Makoto Kitanaka, SAA President, will also participate. The event will witness the launch of a book titled “Sasakawa Africa Association: Three Decades of Fight Against Poverty and Hunger in Nigeria,” authored by Mohammed Othman.

SAA Nigeria is leading the crop value chain component of the KSADP through a $19.3 million subgrant aimed at boosting agricultural productivity and competitiveness. The project provides technical support to enhance farmers’ access to inputs, value addition, e-extension services, agribusiness development, and capacity building in crop production, post-harvest operations, and market access.

Additionally, the KSADP addresses critical issues such as private sector involvement, climate-smart agriculture, gender mainstreaming, and human nutrition. SAA is working with 450,000 smallholder farmers across Kano’s 44 local government areas, focusing on value chains for rice, maize, sorghum, millet, tomatoes, onions, and cabbage.