‎NADF, Partners Sign MoU to Launch All-Season Demonstration Farm in Katsina ‎

‎The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) has formalized a new public-private partnership with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a 50-hectare all-season demonstration farm at Sabke Dam, Katsina State.
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‎Signed on Wednesday during a formal ceremony attended by the Governor of Katsina State, key lawmakers, development partners, and private sector players, the agreement sets the foundation for a collaborative push to unlock the agricultural potential of dormant water infrastructure in the region.
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‎“This MoU 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,” said NADF Executive Secretary, Mohammed Ibrahim.
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‎The partnership brings together NADF, OCP Africa, the Katsina State Government, and the Sokoto-Rima River Basin Development Authority (SRRBDA), with clearly defined responsibilities under the MoU. The Infrastructure Bank is also involved as a financial partner.
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‎Describing the initiative as a “proof of concept,” Ibrahim said the project was borne out of NADF’s visit to the site, which triggered a commitment to fund “very bankable technical and commercial feasibilities for the optimisation of this dam.”
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‎“While that is ongoing, private partners came to us knocking to say we are also interested in seeing how this place can be optimised. And that is why we are here today,” he added.
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‎The farm will feature four staple crops—maize, sorghum, cowpea, and soybeans—and serve as a live demonstration of a complete agricultural value chain, from land preparation to seed selection, soil mapping, crop care, harvest, and market linkage.
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‎“This model farm will showcase an outline of everything from proper land preparation through to seed genetics, plant nutrition, harvest and post-harvest, and hopefully a go-to market strategy,” Ibrahim said.
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‎He also acknowledged the Katsina State Government’s strong backing. “We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation, not only for receiving us, but for making an investment-ready climate. The Katsina State Government is providing land clearing, mechanization and farm management support for this project,” he noted.
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‎Highlighting the contribution of OCP Africa, Ibrahim revealed the company has completed full soil mapping of the irrigable area and will develop custom fertilizer blends tailored to the specific soil and crop types. “OCP has done a complete soil mapping and will now utilise that to showcase how blends should be put where they are in tandem with soil and crop type,” he explained.
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‎The Infrastructure Bank is supporting input procurement, especially urea-based fertilizers. “The Infrastructure Bank is funding urea inputs,” he stated, adding that NADF will coordinate overall project management.
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‎Ibrahim expressed optimism that the farm could serve as a blueprint for similar projects nationwide. “When the studies are out, we will not only have a reputable bankable study, but we will have had a model on ground to showcase,” he said.
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‎Katsina State Governor, Dr. Dikko Radda, welcomed the initiative, citing its potential economic impact. “When the idea of the project was introduced to me, I quickly jumped into it, given the fact that the chain of benefits it will have on the economy of our state and on the livelihood of our people,” he said.
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‎Radda emphasized year-round agricultural activity as a key priority. “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.”
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‎Also speaking, Dr. Alik Orevaoghene of OCP Africa described the farm as a center for knowledge transfer. “The farm serves as a platform for teaching and for training smallholder farmers on good agronomic practices,” he said. Under the agreement, OCP will also provide quality fertilizers for the core farm and potential out-grower schemes.
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‎SRRBDA Managing Director, Abubakar Malam, described the project as a revival of long-neglected 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.
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‎For Chairman of the House Committee on Water Resources, Hon. Sada, the event was deeply personal. “Today marks one of the most happiest moments for me to see that this dam is being utilized,” he said, vowing legislative support to ensure the project’s success. “If we allow this pilot project to fail, it is our failure.”
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‎To ensure transparency and results-based implementation, NADF is also deploying a digital monitoring and evaluation (M&E) platform for real-time tracking of inputs, outcomes, and accountability metrics.
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