To revitalise the agriculture sector across the seven North West states, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator (Dr) Barau I. Jibrin, has announced plans to raise 558 young farmer millionaires this farming season.
It was gathered that this initiative aims to create approximately three millionaires from each of the 186 local government areas (LGAs) within the seven North Western states.
Under a programme titled the Barau Initiative for Agricultural Revolution in the North West (BIARN), three young farmers will be selected from each of the 186 LGAs in the North West geopolitical zone, which includes Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, and Zamfara.
Each beneficiary will receive N5 million to invest in farming this season, with N2.79 billion to be disbursed.
Addressing members of the Senate Press Corps at the National Assembly on Thursday, he stated that BIARN was established to enhance the agricultural sector and achieve food security in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking through his Special Adviser on Policy and Monitoring, Professor Bashir Muhammad Fagge, he noted that his foundation, the Barau I Jibrin Foundation (BIJF), is coordinating the initiative.
Senator Barau said, “Food security is paramount and sits at the top of the agenda of progressive nations globally. Without it, you are insecure at the individual, family, local government, state, and national levels.
“If you recall, decades ago, the North, particularly the North West, was our country’s food basket, producing most agricultural products for nationwide consumption and export to neighbouring countries. However, that is now history.
“To change the narrative and harness the vast arable land across the seven North West states, I have developed this initiative to empower 558 young farmers in the North West geopolitical zone for the programme’s first phase.
“The Barau Initiative for Agricultural Revolution in the North West (BIARN) aims to utilise the extensive arable land in the geopolitical zone to restore its agricultural prominence and achieve food security.
“My foundation, the Barau I Jibrin Foundation (BIJF), collaborates with a relevant national financial institution to implement this programme.
“It may interest you to know that we have conducted a series of meetings with the institution’s management, and arrangements for the project’s launch are almost complete,” Barau added.
Further, the Deputy Senate President indicated that the initiative will launch fully by April this year, ahead of the farming season.
“Under the BIARN, three young farmers will be selected from each of the 186 local government areas of the seven states within the North West geopolitical zone—Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, and Zamfara.
“Each selected beneficiary will receive an interest-free N5 million loan to invest in farming during this year’s cropping season, with a total of N2.79 billion to be distributed among them.
“The breakdown of beneficiaries per state is as follows: Kaduna 69, Kano 132, Kebbi 63, Katsina 102, Jigawa 81, Sokoto 69, and Zamfara 42.
“The beneficiaries of this scheme will receive guidance in cultivating maise and rice crops, which will significantly boost yields, reduce food costs, and enhance food security both in the zone and nationwide.
“In 2023, Nigeria produced approximately 8.9 million metric tons of paddy rice, the highest output since 2010. However, this figure remains insufficient to meet the pressing needs of our ever-growing population. The central concept behind this scheme is to revolutionise agricultural production in northwestern Nigeria by empowering youths with a background in agriculture.
“My brainchild, the BIARN, was conceived to enhance agricultural production in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. I met with the financial institution, and we had fruitful discussions.
“As a follow-up to my meeting, the chairman of the Implementation Committee of BIARN, Professor Bashir Muhammad Fagge, mni—who is also my Special Adviser on Policy and Monitoring—together with my Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alhaji Ismail Mudashir, have met twice with the top management staff of the financial institution, where the partnership was extensively discussed, and arrangements are being finalised.
“The two teams will soon sign the Memorandum of Understanding for the project’s commencement. This will be done next week, Insha Allah.
“To this end, I hereby solicit your support for the success of this project. If we achieve food security in our country, more than half of our problems will have been resolved,” he concluded.