A sort of revolution – hinged on agriculture and sustainable solutions – is going on in Borno State under the watch of Prof Babagana Umara Zulum.
- Creation of a robust policy framework for development and sustainability. This includes the 25-year development plan; the 10-year strategic transformation initiative; budget reform; a framework for medium and long-term sustainable development solutions; state export strategy; infrastructure transformation masterplan; Agriculture transformation agenda and education/skills development agenda.
- Expansion of the avenues for internally generated revenue (IGR), deliberate targeting of alternative income from the economic sectors and export of agricultural commodities.
- Creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development with the Deputy Governor as supervising Commissioner. The Deputy Governor, Dr Umar Usman Kadafur, was a livestock farmer and hotelier before joining the Government.
- Creation of the Livestock Development Agency headed by a competent and experienced veterinary doctor, Dr Bukar Ali Usman mni.
- Establishment of a high-powered Agricultural Transformation Committee headed by the Secretary to the State Government, Mallam Bukar Tijani who was a former Minister of State for Agriculture and former UN undersecretary at the FAO.
- Establishment of mega-farms in all liberated areas, and investment in agriculture cooperatives and small-holder farming.
- Grant of massive agricultural subsidy and farm inputs to rural farmers and cooperatives.
- Sustained investment in education and skills development, with the establishment of skills development institute, and funding for primary, secondary and tertiary education institutions.
- Establishment of a Dryland Port for import and export of agro-allied materials pursuant to the Borno State Export Strategy.
- Conversion of the Muhammad Buhari Airport to international airport with a cargo terminal with effect from 1 January 2025.
In Borno State, we are taking bold steps towards self-dependency and self-reliance. We realised that funds from the federation account is drying up, and as an agrarian state we have to look inward to build our state on the pedestal of sustainability.
All this is happening in spite of the Boko Haram insurgency and criminality which sap our energy and resources. Our state will continue to support the campaign against insurgency led by the armed forces; law enforcement led by the Nigerian Police Force, while also investing in non-kinetic solutions under the Borno Model of Peace, Reconciliation and Development, a platform for mass exit of of repentant insurgents and those trapped in the cycle of violent extremism.
We are determined to overcome our challenges and build a viable state within the Nigerian federation.
(Prof Tar is the commissioner for Information and Internal Security in Borno State)
