The Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) has launched the Kadawa Mechanisation Centre in Garun Malam LGA, Kano State, to ease farm operations and improve food production.
The centre, one of three hubs under the Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP), is funded by the Kano State Government, Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF). Similar hubs are also being established in Danbatta and Gaya.
Speaking at the commissioning, IsDB Vice President, Dr Rami Ahmad, said the project would directly impact three million people in Kano, noting the bank's strong commitment to Nigeria's agricultural growth.
Project Coordinator, Abdulrasheed Hamisu Kofar Mata, explained that the hubs are fully equipped with tractors, planters, harvesters, and threshers, supported by trained operators. He added that the initiative will create jobs for youth and women while cutting production costs and reducing post-harvest losses.
Kano's Agriculture Commissioner, Dr Danjuma Mahmood, expressed optimism that the project will transform crop production, irrigation, value addition, and livestock productivity in the coming years.