The federal government has approved a N25 billion intervention fund for the recently commissioned Katsina Agricultural Mechanized Centre.
The Governor of Katsina, Dikko Umar Radda, disclosed this in a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), on May 2, 2025.
The intervention enabled the Katsina Agricultural Mechanized Centre to purchase 400 tractors aimed at driving an agricultural revolution in the northern state.
The commissioning of key projects in Katsina State occurred during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s two-day visit to the state.
Nigeria Must Move Away from Oil Reliance
- On Friday, President Tinubu called on governors across Nigeria to remain focused on delivering tangible results that improve the lives of their people.
- During his two-day visit to Katsina, the President told the governors that the accurate measure of leadership is a positive, visible impact.
- The President commissioned a 24 km road, which Governor Dikko Umar Radda completed within 18 months.
- The President also commissioned the Katsina Agricultural Mechanized Centre.
- According to the statement, the road commissioned was the Eastern Bypass, which stretched from Dutsin-ma Road through Kano and Daura Roads, terminating at Yandaki in the Kaita Local Government Area.
- Speaking at the event, Tinubu noted that hunger and poverty remain the biggest threats to peace in the country.
“The economy is sailing in the right direction. Today, we are seeing an effort to banish hunger and a commitment to food security and the empowerment of our people. Small and large-scale farming will be encouraged. Once we liberate ourselves from hunger, we will appreciate peace and harmony.”
“The remarkable progress in the state will continue to be rewarded. I want to assure the Nigerian public that agriculture is the heart of our progress and must be for all. We have dedicated ourselves to food security. We must invest in mechanization and water management. The old style of agriculture is gone,” he stated.
- The President assured that the Bank of Agriculture would be resuscitated and properly repositioned to meet farmers’ needs and improve farming and agricultural production.
“The Bank of Agriculture is being revitalized. When resuscitated, the bank will make funds available for large, medium, and small-scale farming,” he said.
Tinubu further challenged the governors to pay more attention to agriculture, rather than relying on federal allocations from oil.
“You have introduced a great, progressive movement in Katsina State by tilling the land and putting it to use. Farming will be our source of prosperity and growth.”
“We should remove ourselves from reliance on oil and commit to agriculture. It will bring prosperity. I commend you for the mechanization program. It is a great investment, and I hope others can learn from it. The construction of the 24-km road speaks volumes about the effectiveness of the government. I say thank you,” President Tinubu stressed.
- The President appreciated past governors of the state for their purposeful leadership and thanked the traditional council, as well as the Katsina and Daura Emirates, for supporting the country’s unity, peace, and progress.
More Insights
- On his part, Governor Radda said, “The Katsina Agricultural Mechanized Centre would serve the 34 local councils in the state, noting that 400 tractors had been purchased with the federal government’s N25 billion intervention.”
- He highlighted that 160 km of roads had been constructed and some rehabilitated within the state over this period, while power, water supply, and healthcare facilities had improved people’s lives.
“448,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer were distributed to farmers last year, and this year, they will receive 400,000 metric tonnes,” the Governor added.
- Governor Radda also revealed that the Ministry of Agriculture had supplied the state with 4,000 pumping machines to enhance irrigation farming.
