The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, has unveiled plans to create 558 young farmer millionaires in the North West region through a new agricultural empowerment program.
The initiative, known as the Barau Initiative for Agricultural Revolution in the North West (BIARN), aims to boost agribusiness and rural economic growth.
Speaking to members of the Senate Press Corps at the National Assembly on Thursday, the Special Adviser on Policy and Monitoring to the Deputy Senate President, and the program’s coordinator, Professor Bashir Muhammad Fagge, provided details of the scheme.
He explained that three young farmers from each of the 186 local government areas across the seven states in the North West: Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, and Zamfara would be selected as beneficiaries.
Each selected farmer will receive ₦5 million to invest in agricultural activities during this farming season, bringing the total disbursement under the initiative to ₦2.79 billion.
The program is designed to empower young farmers, boost food production, and stimulate economic development in the North West, positioning agriculture as a viable source of wealth creation.
Bashir Muhammad further said the program was established to enhance the agricultural sector and achieve food security in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking on behalf of Senator Barau, Bashir emphasized that food security is a top priority for progressive nations worldwide.
He added, “Without food security, individuals, families, local governments, states, and even entire countries remain vulnerable.”
If you recall, decades ago, the North, especially the North West, was our country’s food basket, producing most of the agricultural products for consumption by the people nationwide and even for export to our neighbouring countries.
He however said that has become history, so to change the narrative and harness the enormous arable land across the seven North West states, the BIARN foundation have developed the initiative of empowering 558 young farmers in the North West geopolitical zone for the first phase of the programme.
“If you recall, decades ago, the North, particularly the North West, was the country’s food basket, producing the majority of agricultural products for national consumption and export to neighboring countries.”
However, he noted that this is no longer the case. To change the narrative and harness the vast arable land across the seven North West states, the BIARN Foundation has developed an initiative to empower 558 young farmers in the region as part of the first phase of the program.
He added that the Barau Initiative for Agricultural Revolution programme aims to use the vast arable land in the geopolitical zone to restore its agricultural prominence and achieve food security.
He assured that a series of meetings with the institution’s management. Arrangements for the project’s launch are almost complete and the initiative targeted April this year to launch fully, ahead of this year’s farming season and the breakdown of the beneficiaries per state is as follows: Kaduna 69, Kano 132, Kebbi 63, Katsina 102, Jigawa 81, Sokoto 69 and Zamfara 42.
However, he noted that this is no longer the case. To change the narrative and utilize the vast arable land across the seven North West states, the BIARN Foundation has developed an initiative to empower 558 young farmers in the region as part of the first phase of the program.
He added that the Initiative aims to leverage the region’s agricultural potential to restore its prominence and achieve food security.
He assured that a series of meetings with the institution’s management had been held and that arrangements for the project’s launch were nearing completion.
The initiative is set to officially launch in April this year, ahead of the upcoming farming season.
The breakdown of beneficiaries per state is as follows: Kaduna – 69, Kano – 132, Kebbi – 63, Katsina – 102, Jigawa – 81, Sokoto – 69, and Zamfara – 42.
Bashir who assured that the beneficiaries of this scheme would receive guidance in cultivating maize and rice crops said, the initiative was expected to boost the yield of both crops, reduce food costs, and enhance food security in the region and nationwide.
COV/Bashir M
