Insecurity: How we recovered over 500,000 hectares of farmland from bandits - Kaduna Govt

The Kaduna State Government has attributed the return of farmers to more than 500,000 hectares of farmland to gains recorded in its fight against insecurity over the past three years.

The state Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, said this on Sunday at a Gala Night organised by the Kano Correspondents’ Chapel during its annual retreat in Kaduna.

Maiyaki said the security situation in some rural communities had previously become so severe that bandits allegedly exercised control over residents and agricultural activities.

He said the situation had changed following the adoption of community-based security strategies and early warning mechanisms.

“It was so bad that farmers could not go to their farms. But today, with community-led security and early warning systems, peace has returned, and our farmers are back on the land,” he said.

According to the commissioner, the state’s response to insecurity goes beyond military operations, with traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth organisations and other community stakeholders involved in preventing threats.

He disclosed that 75 potential threats were identified between 2023 and early 2026, while 70 were successfully contained before they could develop into communal or religious crises.

Maiyaki said the improved security environment had also influenced the state’s agricultural spending, with the sector’s allocation increasing from N1.4 billion in 2023 to more than N100 billion in 2026.

He said part of the increased investment had gone into providing fertiliser to farmers at no cost, contributing to higher maize production, with yields rising from about three bags per hectare to as much as 22 bags.

The commissioner also linked the restoration of farming activities to improved transportation infrastructure, saying roads constructed or rehabilitated across 12 local government areas had made it easier for farmers to move produce to markets.

He said the security gains were part of a broader strategy to improve living conditions in the state, alongside interventions in education and healthcare.

“Security is the foundation. Without it, we cannot achieve anything in health, education, or agriculture. Today, Kaduna is setting benchmarks for others to follow,” Maiyaki said.

He added that the government was measuring its interventions by their effect on residents rather than merely by the number of projects executed.Insecurity: How we recovered over 500,000 hectares of farmland from bandits - Kaduna Govt