Kano state government has averred that massive physical investments in Dansoshiya Forest, in the tune of billions of Naira, would be the springboard from which agro-pastoral development programmes in the state would be launched.

The state Deputy Governor, Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawauna, stated this while chairing a meeting of the Steering Committee of the Kano State Agro Pastoral Development Project, in his office.

“The provision of infrastructure such as school, market, clinic as well grazing land will help us to transform Dansoshiya into a model grazing reserve in this country”.

“We have already informed the Islamic Development Bank and the Lives and Livelihoods Fund, LLF about what we have started separately in the forest like the housing units for the pastoralists, the dam and some other things. They have agreed to come and see what we have started which will encourage them to fast track related projects under the KSADP”.

He recalled that Borno state had earlier this year sent a delegation to Kano to imitate its agro-pastoral development model, stressing that both Islamic Development Bank and the Lives and Livelihoods Fund, LLF, envision the KSADP as a model for future development projects in Africa.

Dr. Gawuna, who is also the state Commissioner for Agriculture, however, stressed the need for synergy between the KSADP and the state government Ruga Committee to ensure the viability of projects at Dansoshiya.

The Deputy Governor was happy that the Kano Agro Pastoral Development Project has started to gather steam due to the political will of the state governor and the support from the state legislature, who will provide guidance and oversight roles in respect of the overall project implementation.

The KSADP steering committee meeting, which focused on the project’s budget for 2021, observed that with timely release of operational funds, things would work out well.

Ameen K. Yassar

Project Communication Specialist

30^th December, 2020

Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project, KSADP, and the Kano Agricultural and Rural Development Authority, KNARDA, have launched collaboration for the implementation of agricultural interventions worth 3. 23 million US dollars.

2.23 million US dollars is coming from the Islamic Development Bank while Kano State Government will release 1 million US dollars as counterpart contribution to the KNARDA for its value chain interventions. 

The interventions target 100, 000 small holder legumes farmers across the 44 local government areas of the state, over a period of five years, beginning from the 2020/2021 planting season.

The focus of the interventions is on equipping small holder farmers, extension agents, agro-processors and post harvest handling service providers with knowledge and skills on improved production, post harvest and agro-processing practices and technologies as well as creating effective input and output market linkages, towards increasing outcomes for beneficiaries.

This is in line with KSADP’S theory of change which is to transform the smallholder farming to commercially viable businesses by developing commodity value chains in order to reduce rural poverty, food insecurity and unemployment.

Through the agreement, KSADP will finance KNARDA annually, upon submission of its annual work-plan and budget which will be cleared by the State Ministry of Agriculture, the KSADP, and approved by the Islamic Development Bank.

The Deputy Governor of Kano state, Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, who doubles as the chair, Project Steering Committee, KSADP, and the Managing Director of KNARDA, Alh. Ibrahim Sulaiman Dan’isle, signed the Memorandum of Understanding.

“This MOU, coming a few weeks after we signed a similar one with SASAKAWA, is a major step in our drive to ensure agricultural productivity”, Dr. Nasiru Gawuna maintained.

“With the COVID-19 pandemic and it attendant repercussion on food security, taking into consideration our huge population, this MOU could not come at a better time”.

The Managing Director of KNARDA, Alh. Ibrahim Sulaiman Dan’Isle said the synergy between his agency and KSADP will go a long way in reducing poverty, ensuring food security and minimizing natural resource degradation.

Ameen K. Yassar

Project Communication Specialist

14^th December, 2020

Kano state government has expressed deep concern over the encroachment and blockage of cattle stock routes across the state.

This has often led to crisis involving herdsmen and farmers, leading to severe social, economic and food security challenges.

Accordingly, the government has expressed resolve to address the issue dispassionately, with a view of finding a sustainable solution.

The chairman, Kano State Stock Routes Demarcation Committee, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulaiman Dan’Isle made the assertion during the maiden meeting of the committee in Kano.

“It is regrettable that famers and herdsmen have been engaged in clashes which have caused loss of lives and property. This is as a result of encroachment of the stock routes which serves as local and international passage for the herdsmen to reach water resources, grazing reserves or vaccination points”, the chairman said.

Alh. Dan Isle, who is also the Managing Director, Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority, KNARDA, added: “Unfortunately, many of the stock routes across Kano state have been encroached, so, one of our major tasks is to identify them and follow due process to ensure that they are retrieved, as a means of mitigation the recurrent conflicts”.

According to the committee chairman, “One of our major priorities now is the setting up of demarcation committees at the local government levels, with representation from the different actors concerned, to avert crisis arising from stock routes usage”.

“In this regard, we will leverage on the role of traditional community leaders in dispute resolution as well as public enlightenment”, he maintained, adding that the committee would also push for a legal framework to protect the stock routes, for lasting peace.

In his remarks, the State Project Coordinator, Kano Agro Pastoral Development Project, KSADP, Alh. Ibrahim Garba Muhammad explained that the project has concluded plans to hire a consultant, to work with the Stock Route Committee, for identification, demarcation and gazettment for all stock routes in the state.

“The conflict mitigation activity is very strategic towards achieving the development objective of the KSADP. You cannot achieve development in agro pastoralism if there is no peace and stability”.

The committee Secretary, Dr. Garba Saleh said some of the identified reasons for conflict between herdsmen and farmers are destruction of crops, harassment of herdsmen by host community youths, cattle theft and sale of cattle routes by local government authorities.

Others are lack of grazing land and disregard for local traditional authorities.

Ameen K. Yassar

Project Communication Specialist,

Kano State Agro Pastoral Development Project.

27^th November, 2020

Kano State AgroPastoral Development Project is to invest in infrastructure development at Dawanau International Grains market, in Dawakin Tofa local government area of Kano state.

The market, widely acknowledged as West Africa’s largest grains market has many infrastructural challenges threatening its long term prosperity as an economic entity.

Consequently, the project intends to provide drainages, roads, toilets, a market information system, mosque, offices and a conference room at the market. Also to be provided are electricity and a Police outpost for enhanced security.

The State Project Coordinator, Malam Ibrahim Garba Muhammad revealed this during the proposal opening for Design and Supervision Consultancy for the market infrastructure development, on Friday, at the Project office, in Kano.

“The market attracts grains merchants from across West Africa yet, it has infrastructure deficiency. Infrastructure is key to market development. So we want to provide modern efficient and reliable infrastructure that will facilitate movement of goods and services”.

In addition, the Project Coordinator announced that KSADP would support special training on grain handling for Dawanau market commodity associations to improve quality and safety of commodities that go into international markets.

“We plan to provide intensive special trainings to Dawanau commodity marketers in the areas of grains handling, use and handling of pesticides and use of PIC bags as well as mycotoxin contamination, to support the Federal Government’s effort of zero rejection of our exported agricultural commodities”, he stated.

Mycotoxin contamination of food is an ongoing global concern as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations states that at least 25 percent of the world’s food crops are contaminated with mycotoxins, at a time when the production of agricultural commodities is barely sustaining the increasing population.

Meanwhile, five companies have indicated interest to provide the Design and Supervision Consultancy for the market infrastructure development for the Dawanau market, under National Competitive Bidding.

Ameen K. Yassar

Project Communication Specialist

9^th October, 2020

Kano state governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, will flag-off the renovation of Watari Dam, in Bagwai local government area of the state, in November, 2020.

The project will be carried out by Kano State Agro Pastoral Development project, KSADP, a project mainly financed by the Islamic Development Bank, the lives and Livelihoods Fund, LLF and the government of Kano state.

The state Project Coordinator, Kano State Agro Pastoral Development project, KSADP, Malam Ibrahim Garba Muhammad made this known during stakeholder engagements with the District of Bagwai, Madakin Bichi, Alh. Nura Shehu Ahmed, the Vice Chairman of Bagwai local government council and representatives of various farmers associations in the area

The dam, constructed about 40 years ago for irrigation and flood control has not undergone any major repairs despite the erosion and siltation threatening its embankment, canals and reservoir.

“We have already selected a contractor for the repairs works and our target is to provide sustainable irrigation infrastructure enough for increased production of variety of farm products in the rural communities around this area, in order to curtail rural-urban drift, poverty and unemployment”.

Malam Ibrahim stated that the KSADP planned to expand the Watari Irrigation Scheme with an additional 1, 000 hectares, lamenting that of the existing 962 hectares, about 150 hectares have been washed away.

“I am glad to inform you that a consultant has been engaged to design and supervise the provision of additional 1,000 hectares of irrigable land at the downstream of the dam and with this development, there will be extensive rice, maize and vegetables production in the domain”.

He revealed further that the KSADP will construct a cooperative grain storage facility (aggregation center) in the area in order to improve the value of crops produced by farmers.

Malam Ibrahim, therefore, appealed to farmers and other stakeholders in the domain to extend the necessary cooperation that would result in not only speedy but also successful completion of the project, in view of its importance to their socio-economic well being.

In their seperate remarks, the District Head of Bagwai, Madakin Bichi, Alh. Nura Shehu Ahmed, the Vice Chairman of Bagwai local government council, Alh. Aminu Ibrahim Gogori promised maximum support, to ensure that the work was carried out successfully.

The representatives of the farmers who expressed appreciation to the state government for the intervention, sought to know among other things, the scope of work, its timeline and which component of the work would commence first, so as not to disrupt their dry season farming.

Ameen K. Yassar

Project Communication Specialist

29^th October, 2020

Kano state AgroPastoral Development Project, KSADP, will forge long-term collaboration with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, CGIAR, a global partnership that unites international organizations engaged in research about food security, towards reducing poverty and strengthening food and nutrition security in Kano state.

The State Project Coordinator, Alh. Ibrahim Garba announced this when a received a delegation from the group, led by Dr. Alpha Yaya Kamara of the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, IITA, at the project office in Kano.

The CGIAR is expected to provide technical backstopping in various thematic areas for the KSADP, which is funded by the Islamic Development Bank and the Lives and Livelihoods Fund, LLF.

“In executing our mandate, we must work together with you to address such issues as training of extension agents and technical support, as well as issues of value chain development implementation including input access, technologies access, markets linkages and credit access”, Malam Ibrahim stated.

“The project has confidence in the ability of your organizations like IITA and ICRISAT because they have been working for decades in Kano, in areas of agricultural productivity and product enhancement and the result of your work is very glaring”.

“We count on your expertise and because you are conversant with the socio-cultural peculiarities of Kano, we are very hopeful that the desired results will be achieved”, he maintained.

Earlier, Dr. Alpha Kamara had highlighted that the visit was to discuss critical issues such as the development of harmonized farming systems between SASAKAWA and KNARDA interventions in the Kano state AgroPastoral Development Project.

The two organizations will provide extension support, market linkages and training on best management practices, among other things, to crops and legumes farmers in the state, under the project.

Dr. Kamara revealed that under the KSADP, his consortium will help in the training of selected Masters degree and PhD students from the State in Milk processing, Rangeland management and Extension at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and Bayero University, Kano.

“We will also work with seed companies to secure breeders seeds for target commodities and support seed multiplication”, he added.

Ameen K. Yassar

Project Communication Specialist

9^th October, 2020

Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state of Kano state on Saturday, inaugurated the State Stock Routes Committee, as part of the conflict mitigation strategy of the Kano State AgroPastoral Development Project, KSADP.

Speaking during an occasion held in the state capital, Governor Ganduje said the move became necessary, to forestall crisis which occur between farmers and herdsmen due to blocking of stock routes, damage to crops and resource use.

The governor said owing to population growth, many of the stock routes in the state are being encroached mainly by farmers, forcing the herdsmen to make detours, through farmlands, to grazing resources, which often resulted in farmers-herdsmen clashes.

Such conflicts frequently escalate to disruption of economic activities, loss of property and even loss of lives.

“Against this background, we saw the critical need to look at the farmers-herdsmen issue objectively, with a view of finding a lasting solution to the problem “.

“Consequently, as part of long term efforts to ensure sustainable peace and promote socio-economic activities, our administration, through the Kano Agro Pastoral Development Project, has mapped out strategies to implement several activities aimed at addressing the problems of stock routes, grazing reserves and other developmental initiatives especially for our herdsmen and farmers”.

“Such interventions will significantly reduce conflicts between farmers and herdsmen, enhance pastoralism, control nomadic life style and its repercussions, and bring about socio-economic development of our people”.

He said the state government is committed to planning and implementing strategies to prevent community members from encroaching on stock routes based on the conviction that un-intruded stock routes are basis for peace.

The 19-member stock routes committee, is mandated to supervise the activities of Local Government Area (LGA) stock route committees to implement its activities smoothly and to mobilize relevant stakeholders (farmers, pastoralists’ security agencies, etc) on the activities of the local Government Committees.

It is also to assist the KSADP and consultants on how to achieve their improvement plans in the identified stock routes in various local government areas and to help in stressing the importance of community participation in stock route development in the state.

The committee is also to participate in providing security support and conflict mitigation in all the stock routes in the state.

Meanwhile, the governor inaugurated five new vehicles for the Kano State Agro Pastoral Project, which help in ensuring coordination of the project activities across all parts of the state.

Ameen K. Yassar

Project Communication Specialist

17^th October, 2020

The Kano State AgroPastoral Development Project, will impact on at least 550, 000 primary beneficiary farmers in Kano, as part of its overall objective to contribute to reducing poverty and strengthening food and nutrition security in the state.

The project, through Sasakawa services, will impact on 450,000 farmers of rice and maize while KNARDA, the state agricultural agency, has been engaged to work with 100 000 farmers, providing them starter kits including fertilizer, seeds and animal plough, trainings and marketing services.

The State Project Coordinator, Malam Ibrahim Garba Muhammad made this known in a massage to mark the World Food Day 2020.

“The project will provide support to smallholder farmers with access to improved inputs (seed, fertilizer) and extension services to increase production, yields and residue of cereals (rice, maize, wheat, sorghum), legumes (soya bean, cowpea, groundnut)” .

According to him, “the project will support smallholder farmers to access equipment for land preparation, harvest and post-harvest operations. This will sustainably increase production, yield and make crops residues and agro-industrial by-products more abundant and available for animals feeding”.

He stated that the project would invest substantially in irrigation development to provide farmers with impetus for improved production and increased prosperity.

“For instance in the next coming weeks, we are going to award contracts for the renovation of Watari dam. The project will develop additional 1, 000 hectares of land downstream of the dam, using gravity for irrigation, for 4000 new farmers for rice, maize, onion, tomato, groundnut, cowpea and vegetable production”, the Project Coordinator revealed.

“To sustain value addition, the project will support local fabrication of mechanized equipment and the establishment of post-harvest services through trainings and coaching. This will improve the volume and quality of marketed produce translating into more jobs, income and reduction of youth unemployment.  Furthermore, value chains actors will be trained in processing, marketing and in value chain governance and empowerment”.

He highlighted that “the project will support smallholder farmers engaged in dairy and beef production, feed lot production and small ruminants rearing by women and youth with access to feed through public and private initiatives”.

“The project planned to support to cattle fattening schemes as well as small ruminant fattening and reproduction schemes to provide more quality meat for the citizenry”, he said.

Similarly, Malam Ibrahim stated that arrangement had been concluded to invest in livestock and livestock products market development and market access, explaining that activities to be embarked upon by the project in this sub-sector, include investment in milk collection, processing and storage, support to milk and milk products marketers associations, improvement of livestock markets and slaughter houses.

Ameen K. Yassar

Project Communication Specialist

16^th October, 2020

Kano state AgroPastoral Development Project, KSADP, has set budgeted not less N300 million, for the development of infrastructure in five cattle markets in the state.

The State Project Coordinator, Malam Ibrahim Garba Muhammad announced this during the proposal opening for design and supervision consultancy for the markets, at the project office in Kano.

Malam Ibrahim Garba highlighted that the cattle markets to be upgraded are those of Wudil, Dambatta, Gwarzo, Falgore and Dunbulum.

The Project Coordinator lamented the markets are generally in a bad state owing to poor infrastructure, despite the huge volume of trade and number of people who transact in them.

“They all lack basic facilities for humane treatment of livestock on arrival, that is, off-loading, while in the market and during reloading”.

Consequently, he announced that “the project will invest in infrastructure to provide loading and off-loading ramps, watering facilities, office space for market information, security and veterinary services, lighting for trade and security at night as well as toilet facilities”.

Malam Ibrahim stated that in the long run, this activity would reduce loss of condition in marketed animals, including reduction of mortality during transportation. 

“The interventions will redefine the way cattle trading is conducted in the markets and will have far-reaching environmental and social impact”.

Ameen K. Yassar

Project Communication Specialist

28^th October, 2020

Kano State AgroPastoral Development Project, KSADP, will spend millions of Naira to support the survey, demarcation, gazettement and monumentation of 1,950 km of stock routes across Kano state.

Presently, Kano State has 1,450 km of major stock routes and 500 km of minor stock routes many of which have been blocked by farms or infrastructure, forcing herdsmen to traverse through farms to reach water or grazing areas, which often leads to violent clashes with farmers.

“The aim, therefore, is to mitigate recurrent conflict between herdsmen and farmers, arising from blocking or encroachment of the cattle stock routes. Such conflicts normally spiral to interruption of economic activities, loss of lives and livelihoods”, the State Project Coordinator, KSADP, Malam Ibrahim Garba Muhammad announced.

Malam Ibrahim Garba Muhammad made this known on Wednesday, during the proposal opening for design and supervision consultancy of stock route development, at the project office in Kano.

“For decades, herdsmen and farmers have engaged each other in conflicts that are threatening the peace and stability in several places, with negative consequences on food and nutrition security as well as the economic development of the state”, Malam Ibrahim noted.

Thus, he said conflict mitigation activity is very strategic towards achieving the development objective of the KSADP, stressing that it is important for the prospective stock route development consultant to come up a pragmatic a proposal. 

“We will link you up with herdsmen associations, security agencies, farmers groups, traditional leaders, local authorities, the civil society and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that everybody is carried along in making the work a success”.

“I am confident that if properly implemented, the stock route development activity will bring about peace and socio–economic stability for our herdsmen and farmers”.

Ameen K. Yassar

Project Communication Specialist

8^th October, 2020