Governor Uba Sani says 9.4 per cent of his administration’s 2025 budget, N74.02 billion, is for agriculture to tackle food insecurity.

The agriculture commissioner, Murtala Dabo, disclosed this at the ministry’s one-day meeting in Kaduna.

The meeting, organised by the Policy and Agricultural Systems Strengthening project, aims to coordinate the State Implementation Policy on Agriculture for strategic performance.

Mr Dabo said the appropriation was also part of an effort to achieve the Maputo Declaration, which recommended a minimum of 10 per cent of annual budgets for the agricultural sector to tackle Africa’s food security challenges.

“Agriculture, as you know, is not just a source of livelihood for our people but a cornerstone of our economy. The sector remains integral to our vision of achieving food security, economic prosperity, and environmental sustainability.

“The state government cannot do it alone. As we are all aware, this is a period of great challenges and opportunities for agriculture,” the commissioner said.

According to him, climate change, population growth, and evolving market demands are reshaping the food production ecosystem.

Mr Dabo said the state faced multifaceted challenges that needed a unified approach through strategic collaboration, innovative solutions, and inclusive systems.

He said that collaboration would empower all the stakeholders, from smallholder farmers to policymakers and private sector partners.

While reviewing the 2024 budget performance, the commissioner said the ministry recorded a 72 per cent performance in the total budget expenditures, with capital expenditure achieving 74.4 per cent.

(NAN)