The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the North West Development Commission (NWDC), Prof. Shehu Abdullahi Maaji, has convened a strategic meeting with leading agriculture partner institutions to develop a comprehensive framework for agricultural transformation and food security in the North-West.
The high-level engagement, held on Tuesday at the Commission’s headquarters in Kano, drew participants from reputable agriculture research and development institutions including IITA, ICRISAT, HarvestPlus, Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA), East-West Knowledge Transfer, Sasakawa Africa Association, Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), and the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS), alongside other professors, researchers and experts from across the region.
Speaking on behalf of the Board and Management of the Commission, Prof. Maaji welcomed the delegates and outlined the vision and mandate of the NWDC, which was established in 2024 by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, following his assent to the NWDC Establishment Act on 24th July, 2024.
He noted that the North-West comprises seven states — Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara — with 186 Local Government Areas, 2,003 electoral wards and an estimated population of over 70 million people, representing over one-third of Nigeria’s population and landmass. He added that the region has about seven million vibrant youths between the ages of 15 and 30 who can be harnessed as agric extension workers.
Prof. Maaji explained that the Commission has seven mandate pillars: Security, Agriculture, Education and Health, Environment, Industry and Energy, Infrastructure, and Youth and Women Development, stressing that the Commission is an intervention agency and not in competition with State or Local Governments.
“If you are not out of food insecurity, you are still a slave. If you are still battling to feed yourself, you are not a free man. There is nothing you can achieve without food security,” Prof. Maaji stated.
Professor Ma’aji revealed that agriculture, which historically powered national development through groundnut, cotton, hides and skin before the oil era, must be repositioned to drive economic growth and secure the region’s future. He emphasized that no meaningful progress can be made without addressing insecurity, which remains the Commission’s top priority.
The MD disclosed that the Commission’s agricultural strategy is anchored on three comparative advantages of the region which include vast fertile arable land, numerous dams with huge potential for irrigation farming; and rich human capital, including researchers capable of driving high-yield production.
The meeting resolved to jointly develop a practical, research-driven framework that will modernize agriculture, enhance irrigation, strengthen value chains, and empower youths and women across the North-West.
Participants from the institutions commended the Commission for its proactive leadership and pledged their full technical support and partnership towards achieving food security and sustainable agricultural development in the region.
SIGNED:
Abdulrashid Yusuf Safana, anipr
Head, Press and Public Relations.
27/19/2026.
