Abubakar Malami And The Northwest Regional Campaign Manifesto (Part 4) -By Hajia Hadiza Mohammed

Having highlighted the major problems of Northwest region of Nigeria comprising the states of Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Jigawa and Katsina, we will be exploring the economic geography of the region in this session. So far, I have tried to take a peep into the joint manifesto presented by Abubakar Malami (SAN), and the other gubernatorial candidates contesting under the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). I have also briefly made an attempt to discuss the economic, social and environmental problems and challenges facing the region. And in this part, I will try to look at the potentials and opportunities available in the region.

The North-West region of Nigeria has enormous potentials for growth and development. The region is blessed with abundant natural resources. It has vast arable land fertile for agriculture. It is also rich in metallic ores, industrial minerals, and precious stones. The region is rich in cultural activities and have good natural sites for eco-tourism.

Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy of the Northwest region of Nigeria. The region is a dominant agricultural hub, particularly known for its production of grains, legumes, and industrial cash crops. If the problems of the effects of climate change, poor technology, limited access to finance and agricultural input and insecurity are tackled and the essential government incentives given, the agricultural output from the region can feed the nation and supply the needed raw materials for our industries that are surviving on foreign input.

Broadly, the agricultural activities of the region can be grouped into two: crop farming and livestock farming.  The crop farming products can be classified into four namely: cereal crops, legumes, fruits and vegetables and cash crops for the industries and export. For the cereal staples, we have, maize, rice, sorghum (guinea corn) and millet. For the leguminous crops and vegetables and fruits, we have groundnut/peanuts, cowpeas/beans, onions, tomatoes, carrot, ginger, garlic, cabbage, watermelon etc. The major cash crops grown in commercial quantities are: cotton, sesame seed, soybeans, hibiscus flower known locally as zobo among others.

Maize is grown extensively throughout the region for both human consumption and for the production of animal feed. Rice (paddy) which is cultivated mostly under irrigation and wet/swamp condition has Jigawa State and Kebbi as having the highest national output. They also have local factories for rice milling. The drought-resistant cereal crops like sorghum and millet are grown in the drier part of the region, mostly in Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina. The Northwest region is known for groundnut production. It is grown for local consumption, for industrial raw material and for export. The historic groundnut pyramids disappeared after the discovery of oil following government neglect of the agricultural sector. It is a major crop in the region but it is predominantly produced in Kano, Kaduna and Katsina. Cowpeas (beans) is also a major crop of the region grown extensively as a major source of plant protein in the country. It is cultivated mostly in the drier belts like Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina. Onions, carrot, garlic, ginger are grown mostly in places like Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara while Tomatoes and other vegetables and fruits are grown across the region especially in Sokoto, Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa.

Cotton is the number one cash crop of the region. It is cultivated as the raw material for the textile industry. Together with groundnut it is the leading industrial raw material and export produce. It is cultivated across all the states in the region. Soybeans is grown mostly in Kaduna and Zamfara for vegetable extraction and livestock feed. The cultivation of sesame seed as export produce is expanding in states like Kano and Katsina. Also, Kano and Jigawa are leading in the cultivation of high quality hibiscus flowers that is in high demand in the international market.

The major livestock products of the Northwest region include: cattle, goat, sheep, and drought and transport animals. Cattle from where we get the beef and dairy products and hides and skin is reared across all the states of the region. The major species of cattle are the Zebu cattle breed, the White Fulani (Bunaji), and Sokoto Gudaji also known as Bolokoji and the Red Bororo (Rahaji). Goat like cattle is reared for meat and leather product. The major species are the Red Sokoto (maradi) and the Sahel (Desert-legged) goats. Sheep is reared for the meat (mutton) and the wool/skin for the local and the international markets. The drought animals used for both local and trans-border transportation and for farming activities reared are donkeys, horses and camel. There is also poultry farming practiced in commercial farms and the rural free-range system that produce meat and eggs for local consumption. The major by-product of the livestock farming are: hides and skin, animal dungs/droppings used as organic manure, bones and hooves, blood meal used for poultry feed, feathers, tallows and animal fats.

In the next part of this series, I will highlight the various markets for these farm produce, the major mineral resources as well as the tourism potentials of the region and then try to establish the correlation between the manifesto jointly presented by Abubakar Malami (SAN) and the other NDC gubernatorial candidates for the seven Northwestern states and the challenges and potentials of the region.

To be continued

Hajia Hadiza Mohammed
hajiahadizamohammed@gmail.com
An actress, social activist, politician
London, UK.