The Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA) has launched a major agricultural initiative by empowering 1,000 young graduates as "Irrigation Champions" across Kano, Jigawa, and Bauchi states. Fulfilling a core mandate set by Managing Director Rabiu Suleiman Bichi upon taking office in April 2025, the program serves as the first phase of a broader three-year plan to train 5,000 young people in modern agricultural practices, including greenhouse farming, hydroponics, beekeeping, horticulture, fodder grass production, and advanced irrigation techniques.
Selected for their energy and innovative potential, the graduates are embarking on a three-month deployment to act as a crucial bridge between the Authority and local farming communities. In their field roles, these champions will offer direct technical guidance, promote improved agronomic methods, and work to optimize regional water management across local irrigation schemes. Beyond their technical tasks, they are also charged with promoting peace and resolving conflicts between farmers and herders to ensure a stable environment for sustainable agricultural growth.
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This initiative is designed to offer young professionals practical hands-on experience while opening up long-term pathways into agribusiness and career opportunities. It directly supports President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes national food security and agricultural self-sufficiency. Over the past year, HJRBDA has steadily expanded its reach by increasing irrigable farmland by 2,500 hectares, training 1,350 youths in poultry farming, and instructing another 1,500 individuals in drip irrigation. Complementing these capacity-building efforts, the Authority has constructed access roads to the Galala irrigation scheme in Bauchi State, drilled over 500 boreholes, and installed more than 5,000 solar streetlights to improve quality of life and infrastructure across rural farming communities.
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