The Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA) has empowered 1,000 youths as “Irrigation Champions” to boost food production in Kano, Jigawa and Bauchi States.

The HJRBDA intervention is targeted to promote modern agriculture, strengthen support for farmers and create employment opportunities in the benefiting States.

Unveiling the intervention on Tuesday in Kano, the Managing Director of the Authority, Hon. Rabiu Suleiman Bichi said
the initiative being championed by the Federal government as part of her Renewed Hope Agenda.

He said the project was part of the commitment he made upon assuming office on April 9, 2025, to prioritise youth empowerment and agricultural development within the Authority’s catchment areas.

He explained that the 1,000 beneficiaries would serve for three months as a vital link between the Authority and farmers operating within various irrigation schemes.

According to him, the Irrigation Champions would provide technical support, promote improved agronomic practices, support efficient water management and offer field-level guidance to farmers.

Bichi added that the beneficiaries would also contribute to peacebuilding and conflict resolution between farmers and herders, stressing that peaceful coexistence remained essential to sustainable agricultural development.

“Youth empowerment was the first item on my to-do list. We plan to train at least 5,000 youths from Kano, Jigawa and Bauchi States in modern irrigation, beekeeping, horticulture, greenhouse farming, fodder grass and hydroponics within the next three years.

“Another important responsibility will be to contribute to peacebuilding and conflict resolution between farmers and herders. We recognise that peaceful coexistence is fundamental to sustainable agricultural development,” he stated.

The HJRBDA boss said the selection of graduates for the programme was deliberate, noting that young people possess the energy, knowledge and innovative capacity needed to drive agricultural transformation.

“By placing them directly in farming communities, we are not only supporting farmers but also providing our youths with valuable practical experience,” he said.

Bichi also highlighted some of the achievements recorded by the Authority in the past year, including the expansion of irrigable land by 2,500 hectares. He said the Authority had also trained 1,350 youths in poultry farming and 1,500 men and women in drip irrigation.

Other interventions, he said, included the drilling of more than 500 boreholes, installation of over 5,000 solar street lights in farming communities and the ongoing construction of access roads to the Galala irrigation scheme in Bauchi State.

He commended the Federal Government for its continued support to River Basin Development Authorities and congratulated the beneficiaries, describing their selection as “both an opportunity and a responsibility.”

He said the programme would contribute to unlocking the agricultural potential of the Hadejia Jama’are River Basin while empowering young people and strengthening support for farmers.

The Kano State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Umar Haruna Doguwa, was represented by the Zonal Chairman, Abdullahi Magaji, while former Minister of Commerce and former gubernatorial candidate, Alhaji Ahmed Garba Bichi, was represented by the APC Zonal Secretary, Ahmed Haruna.

The beneficiaries also received 600 solar water pumps, 150 motorcycles, eight rice cutters/shearers and 20 motorised sprayers, among other agricultural support items.