By Abbas Nazil & Abdullahi Lukman
The Jigawa State Government has launched a Wheat Value Chain Research Programme and awarded research grants to 10 postgraduate scholars as part of efforts to strengthen agricultural productivity and food security.
The programme, the first of its kind in Nigeria, was inaugurated on Wednesday at the Government House in Dutse by Governor Umar Namadi.
Beneficiaries include four PhD and six MSc candidates selected through a competitive, merit-based process.
Governor Namadi said the initiative was designed to promote innovation, expand wheat production, and support evidence-based policymaking in the agricultural sector.
He described the programme as timely, citing global food supply challenges and Jigawa’s position as the country’s leading wheat-producing state.
Namadi assured the scholars that the government would implement useful research outcomes and urged them to apply discipline and intellectual rigour to their work, noting that their findings would guide future agricultural policies and programmes.
He commended the selection committee and the Jigawa Research Institute for conducting a transparent process and for their role in advancing the state’s agricultural transformation agenda.
Earlier, Chairman of the Committee on Wheat Value Chain Development Programme, Professor Usman Haruna, said the initiative was advised by Jigawa’s heavy dependence on agriculture, with about 80 percent of the population engaged in farming and related activities.
Prof Haruna expressed grief that despite wheat’s economic and food security potential, production has been limited by inadequate research capacity, poor access to locally adapted seed varieties, and a shortage of specialised researchers.
Professor Haruna noted that the programme is expected to improve wheat output in Jigawa and contribute to meeting national demand, with additional benefits for other crops such as rice and sorghum.
He said 36 applications were received, 17 candidates were shortlisted for interviews, and 10 were eventually selected.
The scholars will conduct research in key areas including wheat seed development, productivity improvement, irrigation efficiency, and value chain studies.
The research will be implemented in collaboration with institutions including Federal University Dutse, Sule Lamido University Kafin-Hausa, Bayero University Kano, the Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and the Lake Chad Research Institute.
