Kaduna State has made history as the first subnational government in Nigeria to meet the Malabo Declaration target of allocating 10% of public resources to agriculture.
This groundbreaking achievement was highlighted during the launch of the Dry Season Agricultural Empowerment Program in Kaduna, where Governor Uba Sani’s administration unveiled an unprecedented funding boost for the sector.
Speaking at the event, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Agriculture, Malam Murtala Dabo, hailed the Governor’s commitment to transforming agriculture into the backbone of the state’s economy.
He revealed that budgetary support for agriculture had skyrocketed from a meagre ₦1.48 billion in 2023—just 0.4% of the state’s budget—to a staggering ₦74.02 billion in 2025, accounting for 10% of total spending. This, the commissioner said, represents an unprecedented 4,871% increase in just two years, positioning Kaduna as the first state in Nigeria to near and possibly surpass the 10% benchmark set by African leaders under the Malabo Declaration of 2014.
“This is a milestone achievement,” Dabo stated. “Governor Uba Sani’s leadership has made Kaduna the trailblazer in agricultural investment. His administration is ensuring that farming is no longer a seasonal activity but a year-round enterprise that drives food security, job creation, and economic prosperity.”
Under Governor Uba Sani, Kaduna State has already executed Nigeria’s largest-ever fertilizer distribution program, delivering over 500 trucks of fertilizer to smallholder farmers. The new Dry Season Agricultural Empowerment Program will further revolutionize the sector by providing 100,000 bags of fertilizer, 500 power tillers, 10,000 solar-powered water pumps, 2,000 knapsack sprayers, and thousands of high-quality seeds and agrochemicals.
Stakeholders in the agricultural sector lauded the Governor’s unwavering commitment, noting that his administration’s interventions have not only boosted productivity but also restored peace and security in farming communities.
“Kaduna is setting the pace for others to follow,” one agricultural expert, Dr. Musa Ibrahim remarked. Said he: “With this level of investment, the state is on track to becoming the agricultural powerhouse of Nigeria.”
With the formal launch of the Dry Season Agricultural Empowerment Program, Kaduna State has cemented its position as a leader in agricultural transformation, proving that with strategic investment and visionary leadership, food security and economic growth are within reach.
