President Bola Tinubu on Friday evening commissioned the Katsina State Agricultural Mechanisation Centre, where 400 brand new tractors and supporting equipment were assembled.

Tinubu also commissioned a 24-kilometre road which was completed within the space of 18 months.

Both projects were executed by the Governor Dikko Radda-led administration, which came into office in May 2023.

Speaking, the president reiterated his administration’s commitment to revamping the agricultural sector with the view to ensuring food sovereignty in the country.

He said, “Agriculture must remain at the heart of Nigeria’s development strategy. The era of subsistence farming is over. We are investing in modern farming techniques, mechanisation, irrigation, and water management.”

Tinubu also added that part of revamping the agricultural sector is a plan to recapitalise the Bank of Industry (BoI) to make funding accessible to farmers across all levels.

He said the agricultural mechanisation centre was not “just about machines, it’s about food security, economic empowerment, and the future of our youth,” adding, “Once we free ourselves from hunger, peace and prosperity will naturally follow.”

On federal projects in the state, the president said the second phase of the Katsina-Kano road project is underway following the resolution of technical and bureaucratic issues.

He also announced that contracts have been awarded for full rehabilitation of the Maraba–Kankara–Zango–Katsina road, as well as the Sabuwa–Rimi–Danja–Dayi–Funtua–Dandume road.

He said the Kano–Jigawa–Katsina–Maradi rail project is expected to be completed by 2026, adding that the project, when completed, “will ease the movement of goods and people, and reduce the burden on our roads”.

“Let me assure you again: Katsina has not been forgotten. Many more federal projects are in the pipeline to support your growth and development,” he said.

Governor Radda said the Agricultural Mechanisation Centre would serve all 34 local government areas in the state, adding, “Mechanisation will help our farmers reduce the average cost of cultivation per hectare and open new lands for cultivation.”

He said the centre boasts several agricultural equipment that are ready for use, including “400 Lovol tractors, 10 multi-functional combine harvesters, 400 disc harrows and ridgers, 70 tractor trailers, and 1,000 multi-planters.”

Radda, who announced that distribution of 400,000 bags of fertiliser for the 2025 wet season farming would begin on Monday, added that the state has provided over 6,000 solar-powered water pumps to support irrigation and dry-season farming.

He said his administration had been making headway in infrastructure development through the Katsina State Urban Renewal Project, which boasts 55.53 kilometres of 4-lane dual carriageway and over 110 kilometres of township roads.

“In just two years, we have built over 160 kilometres of roads, improved intra-state connectivity, and provided our people and businesses with efficient transportation,” he said.

The governor also mentioned significant investments in water infrastructure, including “our history’s largest small-town and semi-urban water improvement project” under the SURWASH program, which will bring clean water to over one million people across the state.

Shortly after the commissioning, President Tinubu was a Guest at a Town Hall meeting held at the presidential wing, Government House, with the security challenges bedeviling the state said to have been a major point of discussion.

The president is also expected to serve as special guest of honour by 2 pm Saturday, when Governor Radda gives out his daughter, Aisha, in marriage.

Tinubu’s visit, which is the first since he became president, saw several state governors, including those of Benue, Jigawa, Kwara, Kaduna, and Borno, among others, on the ground to welcome him.