Tijjani Galadima, the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate in Adamawa, on Thursday expressed determination to use agriculture as an engine for economic development if elected in 2027.
Galadima made this known at a news conference for the inauguration of his campaign on Wednesday in Yola.
“Adamawa has land, water, livestock and mineral resources. We have hardworking farmers, enterprising women, a large young population and a strategic location.
“Agriculture must therefore become a major engine of our second transformation. But we must stop thinking about agriculture as farming alone,” he said.
According to him, modern agriculture is an entire economic chain — from production, irrigation, mechanisation, storage, processing, packaging, transportation, marketing and exporting.
“We must change that economic structure. Under the Adamawa Rising Agenda, we will develop agro-industrial hubs across our three Senatorial zones, connecting farming communities to processing, storage, packaging, power and logistics.
“We will expand irrigation, strengthen agricultural extension services, promote mechanisation and develop stronger value chains around commodities.
“Adamawa already has an advantage — including rice, maize, groundnut, cotton, soybeans, sesame, cassava and livestock.
“Our objective is simple: Adamawa must not only produce more but must retain more of the value of what it produces.
“That is how agriculture becomes an industry, creates jobs and creates purchasing power for business growth.
“And that is how a state gradually develops the capacity to finance more of its own development,” he said.
