Jigawa Targets Global Date Market, Unveils 10,000 Improved Date Palm Trees for Export Drive

|By Babatunji Wusu

The Jigawa State Government has unveiled an ambitious plan to plant 10,000 improved date palm trees in a bold push to scale up production and penetrate the international export market.

Governor Malam Umar Namadi announced the initiative during a high-level meeting with Saudi Arabian date palm experts at the residence of the Saudi Arabian Consul-General in Kano, according to a statement issued Saturday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Hamisu Muhammad Gumel.

Namadi declared that the export-driven programme will reposition Jigawa as a formidable player in the global date market. He stressed that the state will cultivate 10,000 improved offshoots—spanning both local and commercial varieties—using advanced agricultural technologies, including tissue culture and molecular segregation, to guarantee high-yield and export-grade produce.

The governor explained that the initiative goes beyond expanding acreage. It aims to strengthen seed quality, standardise plantations, and institutionalise modern farming practices capable of meeting international standards.

Jigawa, already Nigeria’s leading producer of date palm, currently has 1,042 hectares under cultivation. To reinforce export readiness, the state government has launched a comprehensive survey of existing date palm plantations to generate accurate data for planning and market integration.

Namadi further disclosed that the government will establish new plantations in five strategic locations across the state to consolidate production clusters, ensure steady supply, and support both local processing industries and international buyers.

He emphasised that the programme will stimulate rural employment, raise farmers’ incomes, and unlock foreign exchange earnings for the state.

“This is certain to boost productivity, increase farmers’ incomes and enhance export potential,” the governor affirmed.

The 10,000 improved date palm trees initiative forms a critical pillar of Jigawa’s broader agricultural transformation agenda aimed at diversifying the state’s economy and elevating date palm cultivation into a major revenue-generating sector.