NADF, Partners Seal Deal On 50-hectare Katsina Pilot Farm

National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) has unveiled a 50-hectare all-season demonstration farm at Sabke Dam in Katsina State.

The project, launched in partnership with OCP Africa, the Infrastructure Bank, the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority (SRRBDA) and the Katsina State government, is designed as a replicable model for sustainable, irrigated agriculture across the country’s river basins.

Unveiled during a formal ceremony attended by Katsina State governor, Dr. Dikko Umar Radda, federal lawmakers, development partners, and private sector stakeholders, the initiative aims to optimise underutilised dam infrastructure to drive year-round farming activities, enhance food security and support rural livelihoods.

“This farm is more than a project; it’s a proof of concept for how we can use our water infrastructure to drive modern, commercially viable agriculture.

It captures the full agricultural value chain from land preparation to market access with digital monitoring and evaluation built in,” said NADF executive-secretary, Mohammed Ibrahim.

Ibrahim revealed that NADF initiated the project after conducting bankable technical and commercial feasibility studies for optimising Sabke Dam’s irrigation potential.

“Private partners showed keen interest after we started our studies, that collaboration is what brought us here today,” he said.

According to him, the farm will cultivate four staple crops; maize, sorghum, cowpea and soybeans and serve as a live demonstration site for soil-specific fertilizer application, improved seed genetics, crop management, harvesting and post-harvest processing. NADF will serve as overall project manager.

OCP Africa, the farm’s technical manager has completed a comprehensive soil mapping of the irrigable area and will develop custom fertiliser blends tailored to the local soil and crop types.

“OCP is also using the site as a capacity-building hub to train smallholder farmers on best agronomic practices, we’ll also provide quality fertilizer inputs for the demo farm and any future out-grower schemes.” said Dr. Alik Orevaoghene of OCP Africa. “

The Infrastructure Bank is supporting the project by funding critical inputs like urea, while the Katsina State Government is providing land clearing, mechanisation, and farm management support.

Governor Radda, in his remarks, welcomed the project’s economic prospects. “When this idea was presented to me, I embraced it quickly. The ripple effect on our economy and our people’s livelihood is immeasurable.

We want to keep our people and facilities active year-round, making full use of this massive dam that’s been idle for too long,” he said.

The Sokoto Rima River Basin Authority also pledged strong support. “Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, we’re proud to donate 50 hectares of land to jump-start this effort and contribute to national food security,” said SRRBDA managing director, Abubakar Malam.

In his goodwill message, chairman of the House Committee on Water Resources, Hon. Sada, praised the initiative as long overdue. “Today marks one of the happiest moments of my tenure. For too long, this dam sat underutilised. We must not allow this pilot to fail. If it does, the failure is ours.”

The agreement signed between the partners defines clear roles for NADF, OCP Africa, SRRBDA, and the Katsina State Government.

The farm will also deploy NADF’s new digital monitoring and evaluation (M&E) platform to track progress, monitor resources, ensure transparency, and enable real-time, data-driven decisions.