By Cross Udo, Abuja
The Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, yesterday expressed optimism that in no distant time, Nigeria can attain self-sufficiency in wheat production.
The governor stated this while fielding questions from State House correspondents after meeting behind closed doors with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Asked about the reason for his visit to the seat of power, Namadi said he came to thank the President for allowing Jigawa State to cultivate 40,000 hectares out of 120,000 hectares of land set aside for wheat farming in Nigeria.
Namadi, who said he briefed the president on the project and other developmental issues in Jigawa State and the country at large, stated that Nigeria was capable of exporting wheat with the current deliberate plan to attain self-sufficiency.
He said President Tinubu assured him that he was ready to give us all the support required for his government to achieve the set goals, saying “Whatever we need, we should tell him and he’s ready to support us.”
Asked about the difference Jigawa State could make in wheat production, he said: “We are number one in wheat in Nigeria. So, the issue is we have already made a difference because we are number one. And then today like I told you out of 120,000 hectares for Nigeria, Jigawa State alone is given 40,000 hectares and that shows that we are making a difference.”
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Also asked whether Nigeria could attain wheat sufficiency in Nigeria, he said, “Certainly, we will. In Jigawa State, we have a FADAMA land of over 400,000 hectares. So, that is only FADAMA land that we can cultivate both rainy and dry season.”
On the possibility of exporting the wheat, Namadi said, “Certainly, we are going to export wheat over time…We’re doing the first one, and then after this one, we’re going for rice, and the next one, we’re going for wheat, that’s how the cycle will continue to go. We’re going to have food sufficiency and we’ll have a surplus to export.”
Further asked to give a projection about the number of tonnes of wheat to expect from Jigawa State, he said: “The issue is what we’re doing now, the minimum we’re expecting is about four tonnes per hectare. Now four tonnes per hectare and we’re doing 40,000 hectares. These 40,000 are the ones for which we have received support from the federal government. We are doing more than that. We can have about 50,000 hectares going on of people that are doing it on their own.
“So, at least with the essential services we have provided and with all the support we have provided for land clearing, especially for harrowing that we have supported the farmers, that has allowed them to cultivate more.
“Somebody who was doing one hectare now is ready to do more hectares because of the support he has from the federal government and from the support he has from the state government, multiply that by 40,000 hectares, official one, we are doing plus about 10,000 hectares.
“We are doing, plus a minimum of four tonnes per hectare, some people are making six tonnes per hectare, but we are taking just the minimum, so definitely, I think the future is very bright.”
