Jigawa Has Nigeria’s Strongest Agricultural Investment Potential – Governor Namadi

Governor Malam Umar Namadi has declared Jigawa State as Nigeria’s leading destination for agricultural investment.

He said the state is endowed with all the natural resources required for diverse and large-scale agricultural activities.

The governor made this assertion while receiving a delegation of Chinese investors from Wuhan Province, People’s Republic of China, During a courtesy visit at the Government House, Dutse.

He said, “Your coming to Jigawa State is something we truly appreciate because you are coming with excellent news—to invest in our land. I want to assure you that Jigawa State is ready for business.”

Governor Namadi described Jigawa as an agrarian state endowed with vast arable land, stating that about 1.4 million hectares are cultivable, including over 400,000 hectares of fertile fadama land suitable for diverse crops.

“We are the second in ease of doing business in Nigeria; we are the most peaceful state in Nigeria, and we are number one in terms of road networks in Nigeria,” he said.

He disclosed that over 35 per cent of Jigawa’s population is youths, with agriculture contributing about 46 per cent of the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while nearly 80 per cent of the population are engaged in farming. He said, “In terms of production, Jigawa is number one in wheat, sesame, and hibiscus. We are also one of the top rice-producing states in Nigeria.”

On livestock development, the Governor noted that Jigawa hosts one of the largest livestock markets in Africa, while its airport has recently been approved for cargo operations, a move expected to boost agricultural exports.

He also revealed that the state’s pilot alfalfa production project, initiated two years ago, has become a national reference point, attracting interest from investors and policymakers across Nigeria.

To further ease investment processes, Governor Namadi explained that Jigawa operates a one-stop investment facilitation agency, InvestJigawa, alongside the ongoing development of an industrial cluster and an Export Processing Zone.

Earlier, Professor Guo Bao Yuan, who spoke on behalf of the delegation, said the investors were from Wuhan Province and were following up on strategic engagements held with the Jigawa State Government in Wuhan during the China–Africa Cooperation and Development Forum last year.

He stated that the delegation had keenly studied the Governor’s vision for agriculture, agricultural innovation, and livestock development and identified concrete areas of interest for investment. He said, “We are here today to pay a courtesy visit. We have understood with keen interest in your vision as the state executive—your vision in terms of agriculture, agricultural innovations, and livestock development. We have a strong interest in alfalfa farming and livestock development, following our engagements in Wuhan.”

He disclosed that the team had visited parts of Jigawa, particularly Hadejia, where they inspected available land for livestock development and alfalfa production, as well as existing pilot projects, including private farms already in operation.

Professor Yuan added that the investors are bringing advanced hybrid seedlings, some of which are already undergoing trial cultivation at the Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA), Bayero University Kano, and the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.