Governor Sani is delivering on the continental commitment to allocate at least 10 per cent of national budgets to agriculture, writes KAMZIYE ACHOLLOR

Since assuming office in May 2023, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has made agriculture one of the cornerstones of his administration’s development agenda as encapsulated in the SUSTAIN manifesto. The policy framework emphasizes transforming agriculture into a year-round, inclusive, and industrialized sector to drive food security, rural prosperity, and economic growth. Governor Sani has indeed been intentional and meticulous in giving meaning to the 2014 Malabo Declaration — a continental commitment by African Union member states to allocate at least 10% of national budgets to agriculture, achieve 6% annual sectoral growth, double productivity, reduce post-harvest losses by half and create youth employment in agribusiness.

 For the record, the Malabo Declaration, which focuses essentially on accelerated agricultural growth and transformation for shared prosperity and improved livelihoods, is a landmark commitment adopted by the Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) at their 23rd Ordinary Session in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on June 26-27, 2014. It builds on the 2003 Maputo Declaration, which pledged at least 10% of national budgets to agriculture, and serves as a renewal of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) — an AU-led framework launched in 2003 to promote agricultural-led growth, food security and economic development across the continent.

The Malabo Declaration emphasizes the role of agriculture in achieving Africa’s broader Agenda 2063 goals for inclusive and sustainable development, positioning the sector as central to poverty reduction, job creation (especially for youth and women), and resilience against challenges like climate change and food insecurity.

The Malabo Declaration outlines seven core commitments to guide agricultural transformation from 2015 to 2025, with a focus on measurable targets. These commitments aim to end hunger, reduce poverty through agriculture, triple intra-African trade in agricultural goods and services, boost productivity, enhance resilience, increase public and private investments, and strengthen mutual accountability via biennial reviews. It represents a significant shift toward more targeted, evidence-based policies which encourage the development of National Agriculture and Food Security Investment Plans (NAIPs) in AU member states to operationalize the goals at the country level.

Governor Uba Sani’s initiatives in the agriculture sector is nothing short of a proactive demonstration by a sub-national government to address Nigeria’s broader agricultural challenges amid climate variability and insecurity.

The first thing to note and which is central to the governor ‘s agricultural policy is the substantial budgetary commitment to the sector, thus making Kaduna State the first sub-sovereign administration in Nigeria to meet the Malabo Declaration’s 10% allocation target and even surpassing it.

 Uba Sani, who was part of the President Bola Tinubu’s entourage to Brazil, in appraising the visit to the South American country, said the visit signals the growing global recognition of Nigeria’s economic potential. The governor not only commended President Tinubu for stabilizing Nigeria’s economy, restoring investors’ confidence and positioning the country for stronger international partnerships, he equally referenced his personal effort at the sub-national level with particular emphasis on agriculture.

In his words, “When you look at the time he (President Tinubu) came in, a lot of investors globally didn’t want to come to Nigeria to invest. But some of the reforms he initiated have really opened opportunities, not only for Nigerian businessmen but also for other people who want to invest in Nigeria from across the world.”

In particular, Governor Sani underscored the strategic significance of the Brazil visit, noting that discussions with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva covered agriculture, renewable energy, skills development, and aviation investment.

 “I’m happy that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu established a very important relationship with the Brazilian President. It’s a relationship established on the basis of mutual respect and opportunities that will certainly be achieved within a short period,” he said.

Governor Uba Sani used the opportunity to throw light on Kaduna State’s leadership status in agriculture and livestock development, pointing out that his administration had raised the budget for the sector from 0.9 percent to 12 percent to align with the Malabo Declaration.

“We are working to transform agriculture in such a way that it will create jobs, address poverty, and increase productivity,” the governor declared.

To be sure, the budget for agriculture in Kaduna State under the stewardship of Governor Sani, shot up from ₦1.48 billion in 2023 to ₦74.02 billion in 2025, representing 10-14 percent of the state’s budget.

This budgetary allocation at once fulfills Malabo Declaration’s core pledge for increased public expenditure and enabling interventions that promote productivity and resilience. For instance, the 2025 Fertilizer Distribution Programme distributed 400 trucks (15,000 metric tonnes) of free and subsidized fertilizers to 100,000 smallholder farmers, with beneficiaries enrolled in crop risk insurance to mitigate losses from pests and climate shocks.

 This aligns with Malabo’s goals of doubling productivity and halving post-harvest losses by providing essential inputs and risk management, particularly for vulnerable groups like women and youth.

Governor Sani’s focus on all-year farming has addressed seasonal limitations, a critical barrier to Malabo’s 6% growth target. The Dry Season Agricultural Empowerment Programme, launched in February 2025, has supplied 100,000 bags of fertilizers, 500 power tillers, 2,000 knapsack sprayers, 10,000 solar-powered water pumps, high-quality seeds, and agrochemicals to farmers across the 23 local governments.

 Over 20,000 hectares of reclaimed farmland have been equipped with modern irrigation, including rainwater harvesting systems, enabling dry-season cultivation of crops like maize, ginger, and soybeans. Livestock support includes residue crushers, fodder choppers, de-wormers, and solar boreholes for pastoralists, reducing herder-farmer conflicts and enhancing nutrition, thus directly supporting Malabo Declaration’s emphasis on inclusive growth and job creation in value chains.

It has to be stated that mechanization and value addition are hallmarks of Governor Uba Sani’s agro-industrial thrust. The administration acquired 400 tractors and rehabilitated rural roads to cut transport costs and losses.

The Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) in Chikun, partnered with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and attracting over $934 million in investments, focuses on processing maize, tomatoes, and ginger to boost exports under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Moreover, the Africa Quality Assurance Centre (AQAC), supported by AFREXIMBANK, provides certification for international standards, tripling intra-African trade potential as per Malabo Declaration. These efforts extend farm-factory linkages, aggregation centers, and public-private partnerships for ranching and dairy, as outlined in the manifesto.

 There is also security enhancements via the Kaduna Peace Model which have assisted in reclaiming farmlands in areas like Birnin Gwari, reviving rural economies where agriculture employs 60% of the workforce and contributes an estimated 42% to GDP.

By targeting smallholders, commercial farmers, and agro-preneurs—including women and disabled persons—Governor Uba Sani’s inclusive approach has resulted in youth employment and reduces poverty, echoing Malabo’s commitment to equitable transformation.

Admittedly, Governor Uba Sani’s policies have undoubtedly repositioned agriculture from subsistence to a powerhouse, setting a benchmark for Malabo Declaration’s compliance at the sub-national level. In two years, Kaduna State can be said to have shifted from policy margins to economic command, promising bumper harvests, reduced imports, and continental leadership in agro-innovation.

However one looks at it, Governor Uba Sani through his determination to give meaning to the Malabo Declaration, has established agriculture-led growth as a core strategy for food security and prosperity. The policy also promotes regional cooperation, public-private partnerships, and evidence-based planning. It also at the same time comes across as a means of reducing rural poverty by 50% via inclusive growth that benefits smallholders, women, and youth, contributing to poverty alleviation in rural areas where agriculture employs over 60% of Africa’s workforce.

 Achollor, an agronomist and good governance advocate, writes from Abuja

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