The Center for Dryland Agriculture (CDA) at Bayero University, Kano, alongside key agricultural partners and grassroots leaders, has joined hands with the North West Development Commission (NWDC) to tackle rural farming insecurity and build a sustainable economic future for farmers across the region.
The strategic coalition came together during a roundtable meeting held on Tuesday, October 27, at the NWDC headquarters. The gathering brought university scholars international agricultural organizations, and local community organizers into the same room to map out practical, human-centred solutions for the real challenges facing rural farmers.
Opening the discussions, the Managing Director of the NWDC, Professor Abdullahi Ma’aji, made it clear that physical security remains the bedrock of any meaningful agricultural recovery in the North. He stressed that no farming program, no matter how well-funded, can succeed unless farmers feel safe enough to stay on their land and cultivate their crops.
To address both security concerns and rural poverty, Professor Ma’aji shared that the commission is putting young people at the centre of its community peace efforts. Through a new initiative, unemployed young men and women are being hired to plant and protect valuable economic seedlings like cashew, earning a monthly stipend of ₦40,000 to support their families.
In attendance from Cda Dr Akeem Ajeigbe, Prof Lawan Mustapha and Prof Muritala Badamosi Speaking on behalf of the CDA Director, Professor Muritala Badamasi outlined how the centre is bringing practical research directly into local communities. The CDA has developed a digital mapping system to assist retired military officers and traditional leaders in mediating conflicts between farmers and herders. At the same time, the centre is training students in modern livestock management and urban farming techniques.
Professor Badamasi added that the CDA has already raised over one million tree seedlings, trained thousands of young people, and set up a 22-kilometer testing radius around Bayero University. This setup gives nearby farming communities direct, first-hand access to improved crop varieties and practical agricultural innovations. He reaffirmed that the CDA stands ready to work shoulder-to-shoulder with the NWDC to uplift rural livelihoods.
Other key development partners also shared immediate, practical interventions during the session. Representatives from Harvest Plus highlighted the roll-out of bio fortified, vitamin-rich crops to help rural families fight hidden hunger and malnutrition. Experts from the East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation urged the commission to encourage quick-yielding vegetable intercropping alongside long-term cash trees, giving farming households a steady, short-term cash flow while waiting for tree crops to mature. To tackle the severe shortage of agricultural extension officers in the region, the Sasakawa Africa Association stepped forward with mechanization tools to help smallholders scale up their farm work.
As the meeting drew to a close, project leaders spoke movingly about the untapped energy of Northern youth, describing them as precious assets that society must nurture, guide, and protect rather than abandon. With state governors opening up land for Internally Displaced Persons settlements and technical partners committed to regular online coordination, this collaborative effort marks a major step toward bringing security, practical tools, and dignified livelihoods directly to grassroots farming families.