Uba Sani: Nigeria’s agric-centric governor, by Sule Omeiza

In 70s, General Olusegun Obasanjo, as Head of State, launched Operation Feed The Nation, an Agricultural revival programme, mandating all and sundry to roll up their sleeves and till the soil. Similarly, the succeeding civilian administration, led by Alhaji Shehu Shagari, launched The Green Revolution in the 2nd Republic. Indeed, all succeeding administrations, both military and civilian governments, have put agriculture at the front and centre of economic diversification, job creation and food security. In fact, the All Progressives Congress(APC), in its Renewed Hope Agenda, promises to modernise agriculture and change Nigeria from subsistence farming, to a commercial agricultural hub. Significantly, Senator Uba Sani, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, is set on fulfilling this aspiration and he has set the ball rolling.

1n 2023, the previous administration allocated only N1.48 billion to agriculture in the budget, representing a paltry 0.4% of the Appropriation Act. However, Governor Uba Sani, allocated N23.40 billion the following year. In the 2025 budget, N74.02 billion was allocated to Agriculture, representing 9.36% of the total budget, out of which 97.7% was earmarked for capital projects and only 2.3% was allocated to recurrent expenditure. Currently, Kaduna State has committed more than ₦100 billion to agriculture and food security in this year’s budget, representing 11.65 per cent of total State expenditure. Indeed, this allocation exceeds the 10 per cent Malabo Declaration benchmark, where African countries were advised to allocate at least 10% of their national budgets to agriculture.

Simultaneously, the Governor is carrying small holder farmers along, as he inches towards the ultimate goal of revolutionising Agriculture in Kaduna State. For three consecutive years, he has distributed free fertiliser to this category of farmers. In 2024, Kaduna State performed the largest ever fertilizer distribution in the country, where over 500 trucks were given to farmers for dry season farming. Last August, his administration distributed 400 trucks of fertilizer free of charge to 100,000 smallholder farmers, with each receiving two bags at no cost. Last Saturday, Governor Uba Sani flagged off the distribution of 500 trucks of free fertiliser to support them. Indeed, Kaduna State remains the only state, for three consecutive years, to have distributed free fertilizer and other critical inputs to this category of farmers.

Besides, the Governor is also focusing on year-round farming as the Ministry of Agriculture has distributed free agricultural implements to cooperatives last year. Grouped into a cluster of 10 members, each group got a 18 horse-power Tiller, an 18 horse power 3 inch solar-powered irrigation pumping machine and a 13 horse-power 2 inch solar-powered water irrigation machine, and a gasoline powered water irrigation pumps to boost year-round farming. Likewise, each cooperative was also given 30 bags of Urea and NPK fertilisers, one motorised knapsack sprayer, one carton of herbicide and another carton of pesticide.

Ultimately, Governor Uba Sani’s long term plan is to make Kaduna State a commercial Agric-hub, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda. In this regard, the state was the first subnational to launch the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) in Nigeria. Dr Akinwumi Adesina, the President of African Development Bank(AfDB) who graced the event, said that SAPZ promises to transform agriculture into a high-value economic sector that will create jobs, attract investments and position. In his speech at the occasion, the Governor unfolded his agric vision.

Kaduna State, according to him, is moving agriculture beyond primary production into processing, value addition and industrialization with the launch of SAPZ. Simultaneously, the state is also developing the Agricultural Quality Assurance Centre (AQAC), the first of its kind in Northern Nigeria, with the support of the Afrexim Bank. Indeed, AQAC will complement SAPZ by ensuring that agricultural produce meets both domestic and international quality. In the long run, AQAC will enhance Kaduna’s competitiveness in the global market, particularly under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework.

Instructively, the Governor Uba Sani administration has invested along the entire agricultural value chain. Productivity, he often argues, depends much more than access to fertilizer alone, as it includes improved seeds, mechanisation, irrigation, extension support, affordable finance, insurance against risk, efficient transportation networks and access to profitable markets.

Besides, the Government has also strengthened livestock development, including disease surveillance, vaccination programmes, dairy and poultry development, feed improvement and pastoral infrastructure. Likewise, the administration has invested in rural roads, connecting farming communities to aggregation centres, processing facilities and urban markets, reducing post-harvest losses while increasing farmers’ incomes in the last three years, earning him the sobriquet of The Agric-centric Governor Of Nigeria.

Mr Omeiza wrote from Lokoja