The Niger government says it is implementing a wide range of agricultural reforms to position the state as Nigeria’s leading food producer.

Governor Umaru Bago disclosed this at the Niger State Council on Agriculture meeting with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and Niger Foods on Tuesday in Minna.

The theme of the meeting is Driving Transformative and Sustainable Agricultural Reform in Niger State: Bridging Policy and Impact to Overcome the Systemic Gap.

Mr Bago, represented by Yusuf Sadiq, his deputy chief of staff, said the state was not waiting for the future of agriculture but actively creating it through deliberate planning and sustained investment.

He described the council as the highest policy-making organ for agriculture in the state, noting that it was timely, as food security had become central to national discussions due to its implications for peace, stability, and economic growth.

Mr Bago noted that his administration was determined to change the narrative by prioritising large-scale agricultural production.

He recalled that during the inauguration of the Bola Tinubu International Airport, Minna, the president launched an agricultural mechanisation revolution under the food security emergency initiative.

The governor said Niger had fully aligned with federal efforts by signing MoUs with international partners and the Dangote facility, with an expected processing capacity of 42 metric tonnes of rice per hour, thereby transforming Niger into a rice production powerhouse.

Mr Bago added that billions of naira in agricultural investments had already been attracted to the state for mechanisation, land preparation, irrigation expansion, livestock development, value addition and technology deployment.

He said the initiatives were designed to boost productivity and strengthen agricultural value chains. He urged stakeholders to develop actionable recommendations that would address systemic gaps, especially those affecting smallholder farmers.

Matthew Ahmed, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, said organisations such as FADAMA-NG-CARES and Niger Foods were helping farmers access flood- and drought-resistant inputs to mitigate climate-related challenges.

Mr Ahmed commended the governor for making agriculture more attractive, saying such commitment had never been witnessed in the state.

The AFAN Chairman in Niger, Mohammed Abubakar, thanked the governor for supporting farmers and urged the council to prioritise data capture for smallholders to ensure that inputs and interventions reach the right beneficiaries.

(NAN)