The Federal Government has commenced the distribution of certified seeds to about 4,935 smallholder farming households in Jigawa State to cushion the impact of prolonged dry spells that affected the 2026 planting season.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, who flagged off the distribution on Thursday in Shiwarin, Jigawa State, said the intervention was approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu under the Seeds for Renewed Hope Intervention Programme to enable affected farmers salvage what remained of the planting season.
Kyari said farmers had lost seeds, fertiliser, labour and other household resources after the rains stopped shortly after planting, noting that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency had earlier warned of dry spells of up to 21 days across northern Nigeria between June and August.
“Three weeks is a great deal to lose anywhere,” the minister said, stressing that the government’s intervention was aimed at helping farmers recover part of the time lost during the planting window.
Under the programme, Jigawa State is receiving 32 metric tonnes of certified cowpea seed, nine metric tonnes of certified groundnut seed and 8.35 metric tonnes of certified sesame seed.
Kyari said the crops were selected because they are short-duration varieties capable of maturing within the remaining rainy season.
“These are short-duration crops, and the improved varieties in these bags mature quickly enough to finish within the rains that are left to us,” he said.
“What is in those bags is time. It is the nearest thing agricultural science has produced to handing us back the weeks we lost.”
The minister said the seeds were certified by the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), which is responsible for testing seeds entering the market, registering and regulating approved varieties and combating the distribution of counterfeit seeds.
He said the intervention formed part of broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s seed system through variety development and release, laboratory capacity and digital seed traceability under the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy.
According to him, the seed value chain involves research institutions, international agricultural centres, private seed companies, development partners, regulators and extension officers.
“A seed system is not a policy document. It is people, in sequence, each one trusting the one before,” Kyari said.
The minister commended Jigawa State Governor, Mallam Umar Namadi, for prioritising agriculture, describing the sector as a central pillar of the state’s economy.
He cited investments in irrigation, mechanisation, extension services, improved inputs and private-sector partnerships as some of the factors supporting agricultural development in the state.
Kyari urged beneficiaries to plant the seeds immediately, follow recommended agronomic practices and work closely with extension officers.
He also warned beneficiaries against selling the seeds, stressing that they were provided specifically for planting.
“This seed is for the field. It is not for the market. Na gona ne, ba na kasuwa ba,” he said.
The minister said the success of the intervention would ultimately be measured by the volume of cowpea, groundnut and sesame harvested from farms that were previously threatened by the dry spell.
He noted that the programme went beyond individual farmers, as increased production would contribute to national food security.
“Babu manoma, babu abinci. Babu abinci, babu Najeriya,” Kyari said.
The minister subsequently declared the distribution of quality certified seeds under the Seeds for Renewed Hope Intervention Programme in Jigawa State officially flagged off on the authority of President Tinubu.
“The rains were short this season. The harvest does not have to be,” Kyari said.
The Jigawa State Government also welcomed the intervention, describing it as a timely measure to help farmers recover from the impact of the prolonged dry spell.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources said the intervention would support about 5,000 smallholder farmers and help restore agricultural production, protect household livelihoods and strengthen food and nutrition security.
He said the choice of cowpea, groundnut and sesame was particularly relevant to Jigawa because the crops contribute to household income and nutrition while offering opportunities to strengthen agricultural value chains.
The commissioner said the state government would support the effective distribution and utilisation of the seeds while continuing to invest in extension services, mechanisation, irrigation, improved inputs and market linkages.
He urged beneficiaries to use the improved seeds strictly for farming, follow recommended agronomic practices and work closely with extension personnel throughout the production cycle.
The commissioner commended President Tinubu’s administration, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and NASC for the intervention, expressing confidence that it would restore farmers’ confidence, boost agricultural productivity and strengthen food security in Jigawa State.
Ibrahim Shuaibu
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