Food Security: HJRDA Reiterates Commitment to First Lady’s ‘Everyone Has a Garden’ Initiative

The Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRDA) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Federal Government’s food security agenda through the promotion of backyard farming in line with the First Lady’s pet project, Everyone Has a Garden.

The Managing Director of the Authority, Engineer Rabiu Suleiman Bichi, stated this while inspecting a pilot Irish potato plantation cultivated in sack bags within the HJRDA premises in Kano.

He explained that the initiative is aimed at sensitising and training young men and women to embrace innovative farming practices that can be carried out within their homes and limited spaces.

Engineer Bichi said the project is designed to demonstrate practical ways households can contribute to food production by cultivating crops such as Irish potatoes within their compounds, thereby enhancing food availability and reducing dependence on external supply.

According to him, the pilot phase of the scheme commenced with the use of one hundred sack bags for the cultivation of Irish potatoes, noting that each bag is expected to yield hundreds of potato tubers at harvest.

He described the method as cost-effective, space-saving and suitable for urban and semi-urban environments.

The Managing Director maintained that the project aligns fully with the vision of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, whose Everyone Has a Garden initiative seeks to encourage Nigerians to engage in small-scale food production as a sustainable solution to food insecurity,stressing that under the pilot scheme over five thousand yound women and men will be trained on the new innovation.

Engineer Bichi further disclosed that the Authority has introduced various modern farming techniques to boost agricultural output, create employment opportunities—especially for youths and women—and stimulate economic growth.

He assured that HJRDA will continue to partner with relevant stakeholders to expand such initiatives, adding that the Authority remains committed to empowering communities with skills and knowledge that will strengthen food security and improve livelihoods across its operational areas.