SOKOTO State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has opened up on why northern governments are collaborating on agricultural activities in the region.
Speaking during a high-level meeting of governors of the region on an agriculture action plan in Kaduna on Sunday, Tambuwal said working together will ensure access to finance, and improvement of infrastructure that will support the sector.
The meeting, coordinated by the Usman Bugaje-led Arewa Research and Development Project (ARDP), had presentations from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Bank of Industry, Bank of Agriculture, Sassakawa Global 2000 and the Nigerian Export and Import Bank.
Tambuwal said the North West has competitive advantage in key areas and will seek to exploit it for the development of the region and its people. “In Sokoto, we have advantage with cash crops like wheat, rice, tomato and onions. Others have such advantages with crops like ginger, cotton. maize and other cereal crops.
“So, when we tap all these resources together, pool investment and promote avenues of access to finance, the sector will be transformed and its real value will come to the fore.”
Tambuwal, Aminu Masari of Katsina, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, the host Governor, Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna, and deputy governor of Zamfara, Ibrahim Wakkala, attended the meeting.