By Usman Muhammed Zaria
The Jigawa State Government is sending 65 scholars to China for postgraduate studies in agriculture and related disciplines as part of efforts to transform the state’s agricultural sector.
The scholars, comprising 50 Master’s students and 15 PhD candidates, were selected under the second phase of the Jigawa–China Agricultural Capacity Cooperation Programme, facilitated through a bilateral scholarship arrangement with the Chinese government.
The development was announced in a statement issued in Dutse by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Hamisu Mohammed Gumel.
The programme is being implemented by the Jigawa State Agricultural Transformation Agency (JATA) in collaboration with the state’s Ministry of Higher Education.
Speaking at the scholars’ farewell ceremony, Governor Umar Namadi said the initiative reflected his administration’s commitment to human capital development and agricultural transformation under its 12-Point Agenda.
He said agricultural transformation required sustained investment in skilled manpower, scientific research, innovation and technology, stressing that developing the necessary expertise was essential to achieving meaningful progress in the sector.
Under the programme, the Master’s students will undertake three-year postgraduate studies, while the PhD candidates will pursue five-year doctoral programmes. Their areas of specialisation include crop science, soil and water conservation, desertification control, agricultural engineering, food science, animal breeding, pest control, environmental science and rural development.
Governor Namadi said his administration was also strengthening agricultural research institutions, including efforts to transform the Jigawa State Agricultural Research Institute into one of Nigeria’s leading state-owned agricultural research institutions.
He added that the government was sponsoring local research into crops important to the state, including sesame, wheat, rice and hibiscus, to improve yields, increase farmers’ earnings and strengthen their livelihoods.
“We want to understand how research can help farmers produce more, increase their earnings and improve their livelihoods. Ultimately, when we improve the yield of smallholder farmers, we also improve their incomes,” the governor said.
The governor also disclosed that 16 other students whose programmes were initially scheduled to take place in Russia would be transferred to China because of the security situation there. He said the students were expected to depart soon.
Namadi noted that his administration’s investment in human capital extended beyond agriculture to education, information and communication technology, and other critical sectors, describing investment in people as central to sustainable development.
He urged the departing scholars to remain focused on their studies, respect the laws and culture of their host country, and conduct themselves responsibly as ambassadors of Jigawa State and Nigeria.
“The resources being invested in you are public funds—taxpayers’ money entrusted to us for the development of our people,” he said, urging the scholars to return after their studies and apply their acquired knowledge and skills to the development of Jigawa State.
Editing By Yusuf Zubairu
