Jigawa State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to agricultural transformation through sustained collaborations with the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) Nigeria. The commitment was reiterated during a high-level progress review meeting that  highlighted significant tangible gains achieved under the SAA–Jigawa State Partnership Project. The meeting, held on Monday, February 9, 2026, at the Jigawa State Ministry of Agriculture in Dutse, reviewed project performance for 2025 and agreed on implementation priorities for the 2026 agricultural season. The state government delegation was led by the Managing Director of the Jigawa State Agricultural Development Authority (JARDA), Alhaji Imam Mohammed, alongside the Secretary of the State Technical Committee on Agriculture, Alhaji Abubakar Garba, and other senior officials. The SAA delegation was led by Mr. Albert Taru (Project Lead), supported by his technical and communications team.

Progress in Farmer Training and Extension Support

During the meeting, the SAA team presented results from the 2025 implementation period, highlighting progress in farmer outreach, productivity enhancement, and strengthening extension delivery systems. Between June and December 2025 alone, the project successfully engaged over 500 community stakeholders across 14 communities, trained 100 extension agents and lead farmers, and reached 919 direct beneficiary farmers through step-down training on Good Agronomic Practice (GAP) across target Local Government Areas (LGAs). These outcomes demonstrate the effectiveness of the project’s cascade training model, which strengthens local extension capacity while expanding farmer access to improved agricultural practices.

Speaking on the partnership, Alhaji Imam Mohammed, described the initiative as a results-oriented intervention aligned with the state’s food security and rural development priorities.
“What is important to us is evidence of impact. The progress recorded under this partnership, from farmer training to improved yields, confirms that targeted extension and farmer-centered support can deliver real results. The Jigawa State Government remains committed to sustaining this collaboration so that more farmers benefit,” he stated.

Demonstration Plots Delivered Productivity Gains

With funding from Jigawa State Government, SAA established 36 wet-season community demonstrations and seed multiplication plots for rice, sorghum, and cassava, as well as 28 dry-season wheat demonstration plots across selected LGAs. These platforms served as hands-on learning sites for farmers and extension agents. The results were highly encouraging: Rice yields increased by 43–48 percent, while sorghum yields rose by over 60 percent compared to baseline levels in 2025. To further promote technology adoption, two Mega Field Days were organized in Kaugama and Taura LGAs, attracting 428 participants. The events provided opportunities for knowledge exchange, peer learning and live demonstrations of improved seed varieties and climate-smart agronomic practices, further reinforcing their effectiveness and scalability across the state.

Strengthening Farmer Organizations and Value Chains

Beyond crop production, the project also focused on strengthening farmer organization and value chain development. A needs assessment was conducted for 28 farmer groups to prepare them for tailored empowerment support in 2026. Planned support includes processing equipment, solar-powered irrigation technologies, and agribusiness development.

According to Mr. Albert Taru, SAA－Jigawa State Project Lead, the progress achieved reflects SAA’s long-standing commitment to delivering practical agricultural solutions for farmers.
“These results show that when extension systems are strengthened and farmers are properly supported, productivity improves. SAA, in partnership with the Jigawa State Government will continue to deliver lasting benefits through this project,” he noted.

Expanding Awareness and Farmer Outreach

The partnership also strengthened public awareness and information dissemination. Seven radio programs episodes were broadcast to reach rural communities during the reporting period, while Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials were produced and disseminated to expand awareness of government-supported agricultural interventions.

In his remarks, Mr. Idris Garko at SAA, commended the Jigawa State Government for its leadership and commitment, noting that SAA supported by The Nippon Foundation continued to deploy technical expertise to sustain farmer-level impact even ahead of full counterpart funding.

Looking Ahead to 2026

The February 2026 review builds on the renewed five-year partnership formalized in October 2025 through an addendum to the 2011 Memorandum of Understanding between SAA and the Jigawa State Government. Key priorities for 2026 include: distributing empowerment packages to 19 farmer groups, expanding compost and biochar training for 250 farmers and extension agents, and scaling radio-based agricultural advisory programs. 

The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of SAA and the Jigawa State Government to strengthen agricultural productivity, farmer resilience, and sustainable agribusiness development across the state.