Malam Umar Namadi says Africa must move beyond scientific breakthroughs and build effective systems that take proven technologies from research institutions to millions of farmers.
By Nevison Mpofu*
ABUJA, Nigeria — Africa’s push for greater food security, agricultural productivity and rural job creation will depend increasingly on its ability to build stronger agricultural innovation systems capable of moving proven technologies from laboratories and research institutions into the hands of farmers.
That was the central message from Jigawa State Governor Malam Umar Namadi during a high-level Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) parallel session at the 9th Africa Agricultural Science Week in Abuja.
Namadi argued that while Africa needs continued scientific research and innovation, the continent’s biggest opportunity is no longer simply generating new discoveries. The more pressing challenge is creating effective and sustainable delivery systems capable of translating proven science into higher farm productivity, stronger value chains, jobs and improved livelihoods.
“Africa’s agricultural opportunity lies in turning proven science into broad-based productivity, job creation, increased food security and shared prosperity,” Namadi said.
He stressed that stronger agricultural innovation systems and sustainable technology delivery mechanisms must become central pillars of Africa’s agricultural transformation agenda if the continent is to address persistent productivity gaps while responding to climate pressures, unemployment and food insecurity.
The session brought together representatives from the African Development Bank, CGIAR’s Scaling for Impact Program, TAAT, research institutions, government agencies, development partners, private-sector organizations and farmer groups. Discussions centered on one of the most important questions facing African agriculture: how to transform scientific advances into practical solutions that reach farmers at scale.
From Research Breakthroughs to Farmers’ Fields
Namadi praised the African Development Bank and TAAT for demonstrating the importance of connecting research, technology and agricultural delivery systems rather than treating innovation as an end in itself.
“I commend the African Development Bank and Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation program for demonstrating that agricultural transformation depends on much more than technology itself,” he said.
According to the governor, TAAT represents an important response to the longstanding disconnect between agricultural research and what ultimately reaches farmers.
“TAAT bridges the gap between research and development by connecting proven technologies with strategic value chains and delivery systems that can reach farmers at scale,” he said.
For decades, African agricultural research institutions have produced improved crop varieties, climate-smart practices, irrigation technologies and other innovations. Yet the impact of these advances has often been constrained by weak extension systems, inadequate financing, limited mechanization, poor infrastructure and difficulties connecting farmers to profitable markets.
Namadi said overcoming those bottlenecks requires agricultural transformation to be approached as an interconnected system rather than through isolated interventions.
“The greatest lesson is that successful agricultural transformation requires coordinated investments in enabling policies, extension services, finance, mechanization, private-sector participation, markets and accountable institutions that work together to support technology adoption,” he said.
Jigawa Positions Agriculture at Heart of Economic Transformation
Drawing from the experience of Jigawa State in northwestern Nigeria, Namadi said agriculture remains fundamental to the state’s economy and its long-term development ambitions.
According to the governor, agriculture accounts for more than 80 percent of Jigawa’s projected gross domestic product and provides livelihoods for millions of residents, making improvements in agricultural productivity critical to employment, incomes and wider economic growth.
The state’s long-term strategy, he explained, is to transform its agricultural base into a powerful driver of food security, investment, economic diversification, employment and shared prosperity.
Achieving that objective requires a combination of policy reforms, stronger institutions, strategic partnerships, technology and greater private-sector participation.
Central to the strategy is the Jigawa Agricultural Transformation Agency (JATA), established to coordinate agricultural programs, attract private investment, strengthen evidence-based planning and improve farmers’ access to finance, irrigation, mechanization, markets and modern technologies.
Namadi said JATA’s objectives closely align with TAAT’s emphasis on productivity, strategic commodity value chains, climate resilience and inclusive agricultural development.
The broader ambition is to ensure that agricultural interventions are connected—from research and financing to production, processing and market access—rather than implemented as fragmented projects.
Investing in Research and Human Capital
Namadi also outlined several initiatives through which Jigawa is seeking to strengthen science-driven agricultural transformation.
Among them is a wheat value-chain research program supporting postgraduate research in areas including seed development, irrigation efficiency and value-chain improvement in partnership with universities and agricultural research institutions.
The initiative is designed not only to generate locally relevant knowledge but also to ensure research findings are translated into practical solutions that farmers can use to improve yields and profitability.
Investment in human capital is another major component of the state’s strategy.
According to Namadi, Jigawa has provided postgraduate scholarships to more than 80 academics specializing in agriculture and related disciplines. The investment is expected to strengthen the state’s capacity in agricultural research, technology adaptation and extension services over the longer term.
The emphasis on human capital reflects a wider challenge across Africa, where the effectiveness of agricultural technologies often depends on whether countries have enough researchers, extension specialists and skilled professionals capable of adapting innovations to local conditions and supporting farmers in their use.
Mechanization, Irrigation and Climate Resilience
Mechanization has also emerged as a major pillar of Jigawa’s agricultural transformation strategy.
The Jigawa Farm Mechanization Service Company was established to improve farmers’ access to machinery, processing equipment and other services needed to increase productivity.
The initiative has helped address labor constraints, expand cultivated land, support rural enterprises and encourage greater participation by young people in agriculture, according to the governor.
Jigawa is simultaneously investing in dam rehabilitation, irrigation infrastructure and renewable energy-powered irrigation systems. These investments are intended to expand year-round agricultural production while reducing farmers’ vulnerability to increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.
Climate-smart farming practices and sustainable soil management are also being incorporated into the state’s approach as authorities seek to balance higher productivity with the long-term protection of agricultural resources.
For Namadi, the Jigawa experience reinforces a broader lesson for Africa: technology alone cannot transform agriculture unless it is supported by institutions capable of delivering it effectively.
Research must connect with extension services. Farmers must have access to finance. Mechanization must become affordable. Irrigation must be expanded. Private investment must find viable opportunities across agricultural value chains, while markets must provide farmers with incentives to increase production.
Building the Systems Behind Africa’s Agricultural Future
The debate in Abuja comes at a critical moment for African agriculture. The continent possesses enormous agricultural potential, a rapidly growing population and a youthful workforce, yet continues to face persistent challenges in food security, productivity and rural employment.
Closing that gap will require more than producing new technologies. It will depend on whether governments, research institutions, development partners, financial institutions and the private sector can build the systems necessary to deliver existing innovations at scale.
Namadi’s message was clear: Africa already has considerable scientific knowledge capable of improving agricultural productivity. The challenge now is making sure that knowledge reaches the farmers who need it.
By strengthening agricultural innovation systems, investing in human capital and extension, expanding irrigation and mechanization, improving access to finance and building stronger links between research, farmers and markets, African countries can turn scientific progress into tangible economic gains.
For a continent seeking greater food sovereignty while creating opportunities for millions of young people entering the workforce, the success of that transition could determine whether agriculture remains primarily a subsistence activity or emerges as one of Africa’s strongest engines of economic transformation.
*Nevison Mpofu is a researcher in agriculture and the environment, journalist, author and lecturer. He is the recipient of several national, regional and international awards.
