Adamu Targets Food Security, Poverty Reduction With Farmers’ Empowerment

Former Inspector-General of Police and Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Nasarawa State, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, has launched an agricultural empowerment programme aimed at boosting food production, strengthening food security and reducing poverty among farmers in the state.

The programme was launched at the premises of the Esu Karu Palace in Karu, covered farmers across Keffi, Karu, Kokona, Nasarawa and Toto local government areas of the state.

The initiative featured the distribution of farm equipment and agricultural inputs to hundreds of beneficiaries.

Items distributed included 100 tricycles, 200 soil-tilling machines, 2,500 herbicides, 1,200 litres of organic fertiliser, 1,500 bags of NPK and urea, 500 knapsack sprayers and other farm implements.

Speaking at the event, Adamu said the initiative was designed to improve agricultural productivity, enhance food availability and support sustainable livelihoods for farmers across Nasarawa.

“We are not just here to support and empower our farmers but to introduce them to modern farming methods and implements that will aid in the production of more food for our people. We are empowering our farmers for increased food production and sustainable livelihoods,” he said.

Adamu described Nasarawa as predominantly agrarian but noted that farmers continued to face challenges, including inadequate access to modern equipment and low-yielding crops, which he said had limited their capacity to expand production.

He said agriculture would remain a key priority of his administration if elected, stressing that increased investment in the sector would help tackle hunger and reduce poverty.

“In line with my manifesto we hold the view and very strongly too that working together with our farmers we can end hunger and reduce poverty in Nasarawa State,” Adamu said.

The SDP candidate also urged politicians and other individuals with the means to invest in farmers, saying increased support for agricultural production would help boost food supply and make food more affordable.

“So whether you are a politician or not, if you have the means, please come out and also assist the farmers. Come out, out of the little that you have, assist the farmers. Because when you assist them, we are going to get more food. If you have more food in the market, the food will be cheap and everybody will get it,” he said.

Adamu said the empowerment scheme was not intended to compete with existing government agricultural programmes but to complement them.

“We know the government is trying its best to provide for the people of Nasarawa, but we know they will never be able to do it for everybody. So let them not think that we are competing with them, no. We are only contributing our own quota,” he said.

He added that the programme would be extended to other parts of Nasarawa State in the coming weeks as part of efforts to broaden support for farmers and increase agricultural production.