Why NADF Sees Katsina State as a Strategic Agricultural Investment Destination
@Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed
Partnership, Financing, and a New Direction for Agriculture
One month after the curtains fell on the Katsina Economic and Investment Summit 2025, the impact is no longer theory. It is showing up in projects, financing pipelines, investment structures, and real implementation on the ground especially through the strengthened partnership between the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) and the Katsina State Government.
Many observers now describe this phase as a new era of agricultural financing and structured investment in the state.
Revisiting his remarks at the Summit, the Executive Secretary of NADF, Muhammad Abu Ibrahim, represented by his Policy Adviser, Mohammed Aminu Bammalli (Durbin Zazzau), explained why Katsina now sits at the centre of the Fund’s priorities.
According to him, NADF is “not merely making commitments, but deploying financing instruments, technical support, and risk-sharing mechanisms to make agriculture truly investable in Katsina State.”
Agriculture repositioned as the backbone of the economy
He stressed that agriculture in Katsina is no longer symbolic or just cultural, but the backbone of the state’s economic future – anchored on diversification, food security, rural transformation, and mass employment.
The new drive, he said, will push the sector from subsistence to full commercial farming, powered by disciplined financing, technology adoption, and consistent policy direction.
From speeches to structured partnerships
A major takeaway from the Summit is the move away from ceremonial declarations to structured partnership models.
“Our emphasis is partnership, not promises,” he stated. “We will design projects together, fund them together, and deliver them together.”
Post-summit action begins at Sabke Dam
Summit resolutions are already turning into implementation.
A 50-hectare pilot primary production scheme is taking off at Sabke Dam under a first-loss financing arrangement developed by NADF to attract private capital and encourage investors to enter agriculture with reduced exposure.
“This is proof that we have left conference halls and moved to project locations and field sites,” he said.
Irrigation named the real game-changer
He reiterated that irrigation will define the future of agriculture in Katsina:
“Irrigation removes the uncertainty of rainfall. Once water is controlled, productivity, incomes, and investor confidence rise immediately.”
Accordingly, feasibility and planning support is underway around Sabke Dam to enable all-year farming, higher yields, and climate resilience.
Making agriculture bankable
NADF and Katsina State are developing de-risking frameworks so banks can lend confidently to farmers and agro-businesses.
“We are deliberately making agriculture investable,” he noted. “Once risk is reduced, capital flows.”
This approach aims to create a full agricultural financing architecture that supports both smallholders and commercial operators.
Focus expands to full value chains
The new strategy goes beyond farming to cover:
mechanization
storage
processing
aggregation centres
market access
“We must stop exporting raw produce and importing value,” he said. “Katsina will now keep jobs and revenue within its borders.”
Blended finance as the new model
NADF is adopting blended finance, where public funds unlock private investment in higher-risk segments.
“Our role is to catalyze, not replace investors,” he explained.
Confidence in leadership and policy direction
He added that NADF’s interest is strengthened by governance quality:
“There is leadership certainty and policy stability in Katsina and that matters to long-term investors.”
Youth and rural families at the centre
Programmes will deliberately empower young people and rural households through jobs, skills, and income growth.
“Agriculture must change lives, not just outputs,” he emphasized.
From summit talk to implementation reality
The message is clear: Katsina is moving from agricultural potential to investment readiness.
The NADF-Katsina partnership now aligns financing, irrigation expansion, climate-smart agriculture, value-chain development, and youth inclusion moving the state from speech to strategy, from strategy to implementation, and from implementation to impact.
