NADF, Katsina govt, OCP Africa launch all-season demo farm to raise output

The Nigerian Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), in partnership with the Katsina state government, Sokoto-Rima River Basin Development Authority (SRRBDA) and OCP Africa, has launched a 50-hectare all-season demonstration farm at Sabke Dam, Katsina State.

The farm will feature four staple crops – maize, sorghum, cowpea and soybeans – and serve as a live demonstration site covering the entire agricultural value chain, from land preparation to seed selection, soil nutrition, crop management, harvesting, post-harvest handling, and market access, a statement by the NAFD revealed.

Mohammed Ibrahim, executive secretary of NADF, said in his remarks that the agreement is a concrete outcome of a strategic public-private partnership aimed at demonstrating the commercial viability of all-season agriculture using Sabke Dam’s irrigation infrastructure.

‎He recalled that the concept was initiated following a visit to Katsina State. “The NADF took concrete steps by funding very bankable technical and commercial feasibility for the optimization of this dam. He described the initiative as a “proof of concept” to show how water infrastructure can be optimized for modern agriculture.”

‎Ibrahim also highlighted the roles of the other partners.

“OCP Africa, as technical manager, has completed a full soil mapping of the Sabke Dam irrigable area and will lead the development of custom fertilizer blends aligned with specific soil and crop types, while the Infrastructure Bank is the financier for key inputs. NADF will serve as the overall project manager,” he added

‎Ibrahim was optimistic about the project’s potential to become a replicable model. “When the studies are out, we will not only have a reputable bankable study, but we will have had a model on the ground to showcase,” he said.

‎In his remarks, Dikko Radda, governor of Katsina State, voiced strong support for the initiative. “When the idea of the project was introduced to me, I quickly jumped into it, given the chain of benefits it will have on the economy of our state and on the livelihood of our people,” he said.

‎He emphasised the importance of continuous agricultural activity: “We want to have activities in that project all year round, so that we keep our people busy, we keep our facilities busy, and we optimize the use of the resources spent to build that very big dam that has been left fallow for a very long time.”

Alik Orevaoghene, of OCP Africa, said the farm would serve as a hub for capacity building. “The farm serves as a platform for teaching and for training smallholder farmers on good agronomic practices,” he said. According to the MoU, OCP is also expected to provide quality fertilizers for the farm and for any out-grower schemes.

‎Abubakar Malam, managing director, Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority (SRRBDA), hailed the effort as a revival of dormant infrastructure.

‎“With the Renewed Hope Agenda, we are proud to donate 50 hectares of land for the development of this project and for food security in the country,” he said.