The Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ), under the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Component 2, has commenced the distribution of home gardening toolkits to 1,445 households in Kano State.
The initiative, launched under the SAPZ Targeted Nutrition Support Programme, aims to support households across eight local government areas in the state.
Speaking at the event in Kano, the State Project Coordinator of SAPZ, Mr. Aminu Iliyasu, said the intervention was designed to empower women and vulnerable groups to cultivate nutrient-rich vegetables and crops at home, thereby enhancing food security.
He listed the benefiting local government areas as Kura, Garun-Mallam, Bebeji, Dambatta, Gezawa, Dawakin-Tofa, Bichi, and Bagwai.
According to him, the distribution seeks to improve dietary diversity and ensure continuous access to fresh, nutrient-rich foods.
“The initiative will provide gardening implements and inputs to enable families to cultivate a variety of vegetables and small-scale crops suited to their local environment,” he said.
Iliyasu added that the intervention would lower household food expenses, generate additional income from surplus produce, and promote self-sufficiency. He said this would enhance economic stability and reduce vulnerability to price fluctuations and food shortages.
He explained that the programme is expected to boost household production of nutrient-dense vegetables, reduce malnutrition among children under five, as well as pregnant and lactating women, and strengthen community ownership of nutrition-sensitive agricultural interventions.
In his remarks, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr. Danjuma Mahmoud, described the initiative as a bold step toward transforming agriculture from subsistence to empowerment, job creation, and community transformation.
Mahmoud, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr. Bashir Sanusi, said the programme aligns with the vision of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration to strengthen agriculture as a key driver of empowerment and prosperity.
“This flagship programme is championed through strong collaboration between the Federal Government, the Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, state governments, the private sector, and farming communities,” he said.
He added that the state government had introduced measures such as livestock distribution to women and youth, deployment of mechanized equipment, and the employment of agricultural extension workers to boost productivity.
“These measures are evidence of a government that sees agriculture not only as an economic sector but as a pathway to dignity, empowerment, and shared prosperity,” Mahmoud said.
