Jigawa State has entered a strategic partnership with the Africa Rice Centre (AfricaRice) to improve climate-smart rice production and accelerate agricultural transformation across the state.
The agreement was formalised on Thursday when Dr Saifullahi Umar, Director General of the Jigawa State Agricultural Transformation Agency (JATA), and Dr Baboucarr Manneh, Director General of AfricaRice, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on behalf of their institutions. Governor Malam Umar Namadi led the Jigawa delegation to the meeting.
Governor Namadi described the partnership as a key step towards building a modern and competitive rice sector aligned with the state’s agricultural renewal agenda.
He emphasised that the collaboration would give farmers access to improved technologies, resilient seed varieties, and modern production techniques, positioning Jigawa as a leading rice-producing hub.
According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Malam Hamisu Gumel, the MoU focuses on developing climate-resilient rice varieties suited to Jigawa’s agro-ecological zones, adopting climate-smart production technologies to boost yields while conserving natural resources, improving post-harvest handling and value addition to reduce losses and enhance market competitiveness, promoting capacity development and digital agriculture tools to support farm management and extension services.
Dr Umar described the MoU as a significant milestone that will fast-track Jigawa’s transition to modern and mechanised agriculture.
“This collaboration marks a pivotal moment in our pursuit of rice self-sufficiency. The support from AfricaRice will expose our farmers to advanced technologies and practical training that will drive long-term sustainability,” he said.
AfricaRice Director General, Dr Manneh, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to assisting African governments in scaling innovations to improve rice productivity.
He added that AfricaRice is eager to work with Jigawa State to design and implement interventions that will deliver measurable improvements across the rice value chain.
Implementation will begin immediately, with both parties initiating planning sessions and preparing for adaptive field trials in selected ecological zones across the state.
Source: AgricClimate News
