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Namadi hails TAAT as continental model for scaling innovation, positions Jigawa as launchpad for TAAT Phase III – EnviroNews
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Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has described the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Programme as one of Africa’s most successful platforms for translating agricultural research into tangible development outcomes, declaring that Jigawa State is ready to serve as a strategic implementation hub for TAAT Phase III.
Speaking during the High-Level TAAT Parallel Session at the 9th Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW-9) in Abuja, Governor Namadi said Africa’s future food security and economic prosperity will depend less on generating new agricultural technologies and more on building strong systems capable of delivering proven innovations to millions of farmers.
Addressing an audience that included senior officials of the African Development Bank (AfDB), CGIAR Scaling for Impact Programme, research institutions, development partners, policymakers, agribusiness leaders and farmer organisations, the Governor said Africa already possesses the scientific knowledge and technologies needed to transform agriculture. The missing link, he argued, is ensuring that those innovations move rapidly from laboratories and research stations to farmers’ fields.
“The greatest challenge before us today is no longer innovation alone. It is innovation delivery. It is scaling. It is ensuring that every farmer—regardless of location, gender or income – has access to proven technologies that improve productivity, profitability and resilience,” Governor Namadi said.
Bridging the Gap Between Science and Farmers
Governor Namadi commended the African Development Bank for establishing TAAT under its Feed Africa Strategy, describing the programme as a bold continental response to one of African agriculture’s longest-standing challenges – the slow adoption of research outputs.
According to him, TAAT has demonstrated that agricultural transformation is not driven by technology alone but by strong institutions, effective extension systems, enabling policies, private-sector participation and coordinated partnerships that connect researchers, governments, businesses and farming communities.
He noted that the programme has successfully created a continent-wide ecosystem that accelerates the deployment of improved crop varieties, climate-smart technologies, mechanisation, digital agriculture, livestock innovations and post-harvest solutions across multiple countries.
“TAAT has shown us that successful agricultural transformation depends on much more than technology,” he observed. “It requires collaboration, institutions, investment, effective extension systems, private-sector participation and, above all, farmers at the centre of every innovation effort.”
Jigawa Ready to Drive TAAT III
In one of the strongest highlights of his keynote address, Governor Namadi formally expressed Jigawa State’s readiness to partner with TAAT III, offering its extensive agricultural assets as a platform for scaling innovation.
He said Jigawa possesses vast arable land, expansive Fadama resources, established irrigation infrastructure, one of Nigeria’s leading state-supported mechanisation programmes, strong farmer organisations, and growing institutional capacity that can support the next phase of the continental initiative.
“We will be delighted to serve as an implementation platform for TAAT III,” the Governor declared. “Jigawa offers its arable land, Fadama resources, irrigation and mechanisation systems, farmer networks and established institutions to support viable farmer-centred agricultural transformation initiatives.”
The announcement positions Jigawa among the states seeking closer collaboration with the African Development Bank and CGIAR under TAAT III, which is expected to focus on climate-resilient agriculture, digital innovation, commercialisation, institutional sustainability and country-led implementation.
Agriculture at the Heart of Jigawa’s Development Agenda
Governor Namadi used the occasion to showcase the sweeping agricultural reforms his administration is implementing, describing agriculture as the engine of Jigawa’s economic transformation.
He highlighted the establishment of the Jigawa Agricultural Transformation Agency (JATA) to coordinate investments across agricultural value chains, strengthen partnerships and improve access to modern technologies, finance and markets.
He also outlined the state’s investments in irrigation expansion, mechanisation services, climate-smart agriculture, agricultural research, youth empowerment, extension services and livestock development.
Among the initiatives he highlighted were postgraduate scholarships to strengthen agricultural research, a wheat value chain research programme, revitalisation of the Jigawa State Agricultural Research Institute, expansion of mechanisation services, and investments in renewable-energy-powered irrigation systems.
According to the Governor, these initiatives align closely with TAAT’s vision of building resilient, inclusive and productive agrifood systems across Africa.
A Call for Stronger Agricultural Innovation Systems
Governor Namadi stressed that Africa’s agricultural transformation must be anchored on stronger Agricultural Innovation Systems capable of linking researchers, extension agents, governments, financial institutions, private companies and farmers.
He argued that no single institution can transform African agriculture alone, calling instead for deeper collaboration among governments, development finance institutions, research organisations, universities, agribusinesses and farmer organisations.
“The future of Africa will be shaped not only by the technologies we develop but by the systems we build to ensure those technologies reach every farmer, every community and every generation,” he said.
Looking Beyond Technology
The Governor welcomed the strategic direction of TAAT Phase III, noting that its emphasis on climate resilience, commercialisation, digital agriculture, youth employment, environmental sustainability and country ownership reflects the realities confronting African agriculture today.
He urged governments across the continent to invest more aggressively in rural infrastructure, extension systems, mechanisation, quality seed systems, irrigation, market development and policy reforms that enable innovation to flourish.
He also called for stronger public-private partnerships to accelerate the commercialisation and scaling of proven agricultural technologies.
Building Africa’s Food Future
The High-Level TAAT Parallel Session was part of the TAAT ecosystem engagement at the 9th Africa Agriculture Science Week and brought together leading voices from government, research institutions, development organisations, and the private sector to discuss strategies to build sustainable technology delivery systems across the continent.
The meeting concluded with renewed calls for stronger Agricultural Innovation Systems, increased investment in technology delivery, greater country ownership, enhanced private-sector participation and stronger regional partnerships to support the implementation of TAAT Phase III.
As Africa confronts the twin challenges of climate change and food insecurity, Governor Namadi’s message resonated throughout the conference: the continent already has many of the innovations it needs. The next frontier is building the institutions, partnerships, and delivery systems capable of scaling those innovations.
With Jigawa State now offering itself as a launchpad for TAAT Phase III, the state has signalled its ambition to become a leading centre for technology-driven agricultural transformation—one that could help shape the future of resilient, productive and inclusive agrifood systems across Africa.
Since its establishment in 2018 under the African Development Bank’s Feed Africa Strategy, TAAT has demonstrated that agricultural transformation is possible when proven technologies are delivered at scale. To date, the programme has reached more than 25 million smallholder farmers across the continent, increased productivity by up to 69 per cent, influenced US$3.18 billion in agricultural investments, supported the distribution of 488,000 tonnes of improved climate-resilient seed, facilitated the delivery of 3.1 million tonnes of fertiliser under the African Emergency Food Production Facility, produced over 4,333 metric tonnes of breeder seed, enabled production of 309,073 metric tonnes of certified seed, validated more than 180 proven agricultural technologies, and developed national Seed Roadmaps in eight African countries.
Through commodity compacts, policy reforms, digital innovation, and strategic partnerships, TAAT has helped governments accelerate access to improved seed, climate-smart technologies, mechanisation, digital extension services, and resilient farming systems.