Takeaways from Jigawa governor’s participation in Africa Food Systems Summit, Kigali

The Africa Food Systems Summit, an annual Summit which took place in Kigali, capital of Rwanda, from 2 – 6 September, 2024, was attended by Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State and his delegation. Hamisu Muhammad Gumel, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Jigawa State presents perspectives on Jigawa State’s participation in the Summit.

The summit focused on innovation, acceleration and scaling in a digital and climate-vulnerable world. It aimed to assess progress and reinforce commitments to transform Africa’s food systems.

The Food Summit is the world’s largest annual summit on agriculture and food systems on the continent of Africa. This year, the summit spotlighted the continental agenda on food systems and showcased innovative approaches, solutions, proven business models, best practices, and the latest technologies that could transform agriculture and food systems to ensure food and nutrition security in Africa while creating jobs and opportunities for youth and women.

The five-person delegation from Jigawa led by the Governor consists of government officials spearheading the government’s efforts in driving the agricultural sector to mechanization to boost food security and renewable energy, which is in goal 7 of the Sustainable Development Goals, calling for affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030. The crux of the summit was among the two components in the administration’s 12-point agenda documented as a blueprint for the state’s development.

Jigawa’s slim delegation, with the officials in attendance, anticipated the potential benefits to be garnered from such a summit, which would resonate in the state. It could have been a missed opportunity for Nigeria if Governor Namadi had not attended the summit, as the state is a focal point of reference driving the nation’s food security. Jigawa, under Governor Namadi, has invested in wheat, hibiscus, sesame, and gum Arabic production and is pivotal in Nigeria’s journey towards food security and economic prosperity.

Last November, the state hosted the National Wheat Development Programme. The federal government cultivated 100,000 hectares of wheat this dry season as part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. At the high-level panel discussion on ECOWAS policy frameworks, Mr Namadi participated in a high-level panel discussion on the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) Policy Framework, focusing on governance and sustainable solutions within the agriculture sector.

The discussion examined the impact of ECOWAS policies on governance and sustainable agricultural practices. Panelists included Dr Henry Musa Kpaka, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sierra Leone; Mr Dominique Dedegbe, Head of the Technical Unit for Monitoring & Supporting Food Security, Ministry of Agriculture, Benin; George Boahen Oduro, Technical Advisor to the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Ghana; and Mr Abdoulaye Traore, Director of Small and Medium-Sized Agro-Industries, Ministry of Agriculture, Côte d’Ivoire. Mrs Binta Toure Ndoye, a board member, moderated the panel.

At the summit, Governor Namadi met with the African Development Bank (AfDB) team, led by Dr Martin Fregene, Director of Agriculture and Agro-Industry. The discussion focused on digitalising the agricultural value chain in Jigawa State to enhance the availability of agricultural inputs for smallholder farmers. The AfDB is committed to supporting Jigawa State in developing strategies to leverage ICT and emerging technologies to boost agricultural productivity, reduce costs and waste, improve market access, and modernize the agricultural sector.

Key performance indicators (KPIs) for the plan include enrolling two million farmers in digital databases (such as National Identity Number System, Jigawa Agric Information System, Bank Account Number). Mapping and clustering up to three million hectares of farmlands using Geographic Information System (GIS) Issuing Certificates of Occupancy (Digital Farm Passport and Print Certificates) Connecting farmers with essential service providers through a digital marketplace platform.

On Day 3 of the Food Security Summit, Governor Namadi participated in key discussions on transforming food systems. At a Ministerial Roundtable, he shared insights on his state’s innovative policies to enhance food security and agricultural sustainability. The discussions focused on leveraging energy, addressing digital and climate challenges, and fostering collaboration among government, development partners, and the private sector.

Governor Namadi also attended a joint meeting with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and ECOWAS representatives, focusing on agricultural mechanization, digitalization, and funding solutions for smallholder farmers. He ended the day at a dinner, where the Sierra Leone Agricultural Transformation Agenda was unveiled, offering closing remarks alongside Governor Umo Eno of Cross River State.

Mr Namadi at the event interacted with Nigeria’s former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, where they discussed national and global development issues. He also met Joseph Nsengimana, from the Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning Director at MasterCard Foundation. The Jigawa team explored ways of expanding partnerships for education transformation, agricultural innovation, youth empowerment, and the development of SMEs in Jigawa state.

“Our focus was on initiatives that will enhance food security, drive digital transformation, uplift education standards, and address the issue of out-of-school children,” Governor Umar Namadi said. On the last day, Mr Namadi led the Jigawa State delegation to visit RwandaEQUIP, a programme aimed at transforming Rwanda’s education system. Jay Kimmelman, CEO of NewGlobe, presented findings on learning poverty in Jigawa from a July 2024 study, with plans to implement a similar program in Jigawa State.

Governor Namadi then held a bilateral meeting with the President and Chairman of AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa), advocating for Jigawa to be selected as an AGRA state. AGRA leadership expressed strong interest in Jigawa’s agricultural transformation, pledging their support for Governor Namadi’s commitment to improving smallholder productivity and modernizing agriculture. He also met Catherine L Nakalembe, a professor and Director of NASA’s Harvest Programme, to discuss solutions for flooding and drought challenges in Jigawa. She committed to providing technical assistance, including satellite and remote sensing technology, to help with climate-related agricultural issues.

The governor then attended the closing ceremony of the Africa Food Systems Forum 2024 with global leaders like UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed and the Prime Minister of Rwanda. The summit emphasized collaboration and innovation in tackling global food security challenges. Governor Namadi rounded up his mission by meeting Ms. Safi Boly, Executive Director of the African Agricultural Transformation Initiative (AATI), to plan the establishment of an Agric Transformation Office in Jigawa, modeled on similar initiatives in Tanzania and Sierra Leone, with the goal of positioning agriculture as a key driver of economic growth and poverty reduction.

At the summit, everywhere he went, the workaholic governor impressed and received accolades from high-level dignitaries, keeping in mind the initiatives the governor initiated for Jigawa State. These are the exact words of praise from one of the African Development Bank (AfDB) representatives at the summit in Kigali: “What is going on here? I took this picture with him and his team at the ongoing Africa Food Systems Forum Summit, Kigali, Republic of Rwanda, 3 September, 2024. He is here with his team, selling his vision for his state’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda and advocating for financial and technical support from global development institutions and philanthropies.“

“He informed the audience that Jigawa State could only grow its economy and improve its social development indicators through agriculture. Furthermore, he told us that to arrest youth unemployment and restlessness in Nigeria, we generally need to incentivize and encourage them (youth) to take agriculture as a business. This is what leadership and governance are all about. Governor Umar enjoys my total respect and honour,” said Sule Ochai, a professor.

Hamisu Muhammad Gumel, the author of this article is the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Jigawa State.