How visionary leadership, strategic partnerships, and innovative policies are redefining agribusiness in Adamawa State
By Ziya’ulhaq Muhammad
Agriculture has always been the economic lifeline of Adamawa State, sustaining millions of people and contributing significantly to the state’s development. Yet for many years, the sector remained largely characterized by subsistence farming, limited access to finance, weak market linkages, and inadequate value addition. Today, that narrative is changing through the Adamawa State Agribusiness Support Programme (ADAS-P), a flagship initiative of the administration of Governor Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.
Since its establishment, ADAS-P has emerged as one of the state’s most ambitious agricultural transformation programmes, providing a practical framework for modernizing agriculture, promoting private-sector investment, creating employment opportunities, and improving the livelihoods of farmers across Adamawa.
At the heart of the programme’s growing success is the visionary leadership of the Chief Consultant and Chief Operating Officer, Alh. Yunusa Ibrahim Gafai, whose strategic direction has continued to shape the programme’s implementation. Working closely with the dedicated ADAS-P implementation team, the Implementation Committee, and the Governing Board, he has championed policies and initiatives that are repositioning agriculture from a subsistence activity to a profitable agribusiness enterprise.
The achievements recorded by ADAS-P also reflect the unwavering commitment of Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, whose administration has consistently prioritized agriculture as a critical driver of economic diversification, food security, poverty reduction, youth empowerment, and sustainable development. His support has provided the policy direction and enabling environment necessary for the programme to thrive.
One of ADAS-P’s greatest strengths lies in its ability to build strategic partnerships. By connecting farmers with investors, financial institutions, development agencies, research organizations, and agribusiness companies, the programme has created a dynamic ecosystem that encourages innovation, investment, productivity, and market expansion.
Through collaborations with the Poverty Alleviation and Wealth Creation Agency (PAWECA), the Technology Incubation Centre (TIC), Yola, the National Sugar Development Council, development partners, and private-sector stakeholders, ADAS-P has expanded opportunities for farmers while strengthening agricultural value chains across the state.
The programme has also made remarkable progress in aquaculture development by bringing together policymakers, researchers, extension experts, development partners, and fish farmers to promote commercial fish production and improve food security. Similar interventions have been implemented across the crop, livestock, horticulture, and agribusiness sectors, ensuring that no aspect of the agricultural value chain is left behind.
Beyond the borders of Adamawa State, ADAS-P has continued to attract national and international recognition. During the 2024 Seed Connect Africa Conference, the programme established strategic partnerships with globally recognized organizations, including Olam Group and East-West Seed, creating new opportunities for improved seed systems, technology transfer, innovation, and agribusiness investment.
Recognizing that access to finance remains one of the biggest challenges confronting farmers, ADAS-P introduced the ADAS Credit Guarantee Scheme (ADAS-CGS) to improve farmers’ access to affordable credit. This initiative has been complemented by the provision of improved seeds, fertilizers, irrigation facilities, agricultural loans, mechanization support, and other critical production inputs aimed at increasing productivity and strengthening food security.
Across Adamawa State, thousands of farmers, agribusiness entrepreneurs, women, and young people have benefited from capacity-building programmes, community engagements, improved technologies, market-linkage initiatives, and enterprise development interventions coordinated by the ADAS-P team. These efforts are gradually transforming agriculture into a competitive business capable of generating wealth, creating jobs, and stimulating economic growth.
Industry observers note that the remarkable progress recorded by ADAS-P is the product of effective collaboration among Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, Chief Consultant and Chief Operating Officer Alh. Yunusa Ibrahim Gafai, the ADAS-P implementation team, the Implementation Committee, the Governing Board, development partners, financial institutions, private-sector investors, and the resilient farmers whose commitment continues to drive agricultural productivity across the state.
As Adamawa advances toward becoming one of Nigeria’s leading agribusiness destinations, ADAS-P stands as compelling evidence that visionary leadership, sound policies, institutional collaboration, and strategic investment can unlock the enormous potential of agriculture.
With sustained commitment from Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, the leadership of Alh. Yunusa Ibrahim Gafai, the dedication of the ADAS-P implementation team, the guidance of the Implementation Committee and Governing Board, and the support of development partners and stakeholders, the future of agribusiness in Adamawa State is brighter than ever.
Indeed, ADAS-P is not merely implementing agricultural programmes—it is building a resilient agricultural economy, creating opportunities, empowering communities, and laying a lasting foundation for prosperity for generations to come.
The Trumpet News
