Jigawa State Partners With Saudi Arabia in Dates Palm Production

The Jigawa State Government in North West Nigeria, has agreed with a leading Saudi Arabian date palm production group and Netay Agro-Tech, a Nigeria-based agricultural business and consulting agency, to boost date palm production in the state.

 

This is in continuation of the state Government drive for attaining economic growth and development in the state through agricultural transformation.

The Governor Umar Namadi revealed this when he received a delegation from one of Saudi Arabia’s largest agricultural firms, specializing in palm plantation and farm management, led by Abdul’aziz Abdurrahman Al-Awf, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Dutse.

 

The visit was to deliberate on a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing Jigawa’s date palm production through advanced agricultural expertise, technology transfer, and investment in large-scale farming.

 

Governor Namadi expressed his administration’s full support for the initiative, saying it aligns with the state’s agricultural development agenda.

 

“As a government, we are fully committed to this collaboration because it will greatly benefit our people.

 

Your visit and willingness to partner with us on establishing date farms across the state, as well as improving our wheat production, align perfectly with our vision for agricultural development.”

 

He echoed Jigawa’s reputation as Nigeria’s leading wheat producer and stressed his vision of expanding the state’s dominance in date palm cultivation.

 

“Jigawa is already the leading producer of wheat in Nigeria, and we are determined to maintain that position. With your technical expertise and modern technology, we are confident that we can further strengthen our wheat production.”

 

Governor Namadi reaffirmed his administration’s readiness to provide all the necessary resources to ensure the successful implementation of the project.

 

He expressed confidence that the collaboration would yield remarkable benefits and position Jigawa as a leading player in the global date palm industry.

 

Also speaking, Abdul’aziz Al-Awf revealed his group’s commitment to bringing state-of-the-art farming techniques to Jigawa, ensuring year-round date palm production rather than seasonal yields, highlighting that their collaboration would involve extensive farmer training, youth empowerment, and the introduction of some of Saudi Arabia’s most valuable and high-yielding date varieties.

 

He said, “his partnership will not only increase the quantity of dates produced in Jigawa but also significantly improve quality, making the state a potential hub for date farming in Nigeria and Africa.”

 

During the visit, the Saudi delegation, alongside representatives from Netay Agro-Tech, toured various locations across the state to assess existing date palm plantations.

 

The CEO of Netay Agro-Tech, Abubakar Musa Bamai, highlighted the extensive groundwork already done, including soil analysis and consultations with research institutions.

 

He announced that, four highly sought-after date palm varieties—Mejdool (Meju), Barhi (Bari), Sukkari (Sukari), and Ajwa—have been identified as ideal for large-scale cultivation in Jigawa.

 

Details of the engagement was contained in a press statement by the Governor’s spokesperson Hamisu Gumel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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