The Kano State Government and the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA)-Nigeria have signed a $12.3 million Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish mechanisation centres across the state and provide farmers access to improved agricultural equipment and reduce the drudgery associated with agriculture in the state.

The agreement, financed by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and Lives and Livelihood Fund (LLF), marks the beginning of an extension of the Kano State Agropastoral Development Project (KSADP), which will run from 01 July 2025 to 31 December 2025. The first phase of this project has over the past five years, worked to enhance food security, improve rural livelihoods, and create employment opportunities in the northwestern state.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, SAA Nigeria Country Director, Dr Godwin Atser, said the intervention marks a significant step towards agricultural transformation and sustaining the gains already recorded under the KSADP. He also described the deal as a critical extension of SAA’s ongoing work in Kano State.

“Sasakawa has been a consistent partner to Kano State, supporting smallholder farmers and processors to improve productivity and livelihoods,” he said. “The government’s renewed emphasis on mechanisation necessitated this latest initiative, which builds on the gains of KSADP. Importantly, it will reduce the drudgery of farm labour and ensure sustainability.”

A KSADP beneficairy recieving a Tricycle truck from Dr Farouk Kurawa, Managing Director, KNARDA during a distribution exercise in Kano.

SAA-Nigeria, a Japan-headquartered agricultural development NGO, has operated in Kano for more than three decades and has been deeply involved in supporting agriculture in the state. Through the Cereal Crop Component of the KSADP alone, SAA has reached over 450,000 farmers with an improved package of practices and market-driven technologies across the 44 local government areas of the state, thereby increasing agricultural productivity as well as the incomes of farmers.

According to the Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Danjuma Mahmoud. “While much has been achieved under the KSADP, the state government is intensifying its drive towards mechanisation. This includes the establishment of farm service centres, the distribution of machinery, and large-scale technology dissemination through demonstration plots, seed multiplication, and farmer training.”

 SAA Project Coordinator of the KSADP, Abdulrasheed Kofarmata, revealed that the funds will be used to procure more than 9000 pieces of heavy and light agricultural equipment and accessories which will aid agricultural activities as it relates to land preparation, planting, crop protection, harvesting and processing.

“I think better days are here for individual and farmer groups in Kano state because this arrangement is going to fund the procurement of tractors and implements; power tillers and implements; combine harvesters, planters, sprayers, rice mills, threshers, solar-powered irrigation systems and a host of others. In addition, it will fund the establishment of 22 medium scale rice enterprises, 10 artificially aerated onion storage technology facilities, and the installation of 40 maize/cereal flour processing enterprises.”

Kano State Government officials with SAA team and project beneficiaries during a mechanization equipment distribution in Kano State, Nigeria