Bichi, HJRBDA and Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on Food Security

By Shehu Mustapha Chaji

When Engr. Rabiu Suleiman Bichi officially assumed office about seven months ago as the Managing Director (MD) of Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority, Kano alongside Hon Musa Iliyasu Kwankwaso as Executive Director (ED) Finance, Alhaji Tijjani Isa as Executive Director (ED) Planning and Design, Engr. Baffa Datti Abdulkadir as Executive Director (ED) Engineering and Hajiya Zainab Gamawa as Executive Director (ED) Agricultural Services, they immediately swung into action to fulfill mandate of Hadejia Jama’are which among are development of surface and underground water resources in Kano Jigawa, and Bauchi States.

Their first major achievement so far is their prompt actions to prevent flooding this year. There has been reoccurring flooding of Dams almost every year leading to loss of lives and destruction of crops / properties worth millions of naira.

Rabiu Suleiman Bichi the dedicated , hardworking and workaholic MD of Hadejia Jama’are who recently Gov. Bala Muhammad of Bauchi State said ” Rabiu was my colleague when I was minister of FCT and one of the best Directors in FCDA” will immediately respond to report about blockage along the Canals or River by Typha grass. He gives instant approval for repairs and personally visit sites to monitor how work is been done. All staff from whatever locations they are within the jurisdiction of HJRBDA have access to their MD and can call him to inform him daily progress throughout this rainy season. So far Alhamdulillah there’s no report of any flooding in Kano, Jigawa and Bauchi States.

Bichi a firm believer in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on Food Security have been working round the clock to make it a reality.

President Tinubu’s gave approval for rehabilitation and expansion of sixteen Dams in Kano state including Tiga, Goje and Kafin Chiri Dams. This rehabilitation will boost irrigation that will directly benefit 30,000 farm families, increase of more than 50,000 acres of farmland, farmers can farm up to three farming cycles and will create more than 300,000 jobs.
Bichi and his team are working tirelessly between Kano, Jigawa and Bauchi making sure there’s increase water availability for irrigation to boost production etc. Their declaration of state of emergency on Typha grass helped in stoping flood and farmers getting enough water for their crops.

Some key initiatives under Bichi’s leadership include :
1) Agricultural Growth and Youth Empowerment which is been enjoyed by youths across Kano, Jigawa and Bauchi States aligning with Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

2) Training for Young Farmers. HJRBDA under leadership of Rabiu Suleiman Bichi plans to train at least 5,000 young people in modern agricultural practices like irrigation, beekeeping, horticulture and green house farming. Bichi’s vision is to create 5,000 young new millionaires every year across Kano, Jigawa and Bauchi.

3). Irrigation Expansion: MD Rabiu Suleiman Bichi aims to increase irrigation coverage from 54,000 hectres to 240,000 hectares, targeting a boost in paddy rice production from 216,000 tonnes to one million tonnes.

4). Seek boost for water use efficiency of 20% through integrated Water Resource Management and optimized irrigation systems.

5). Support for “Every Home a Garden” initiative. HJRBDA under the leadership of Rabiu Suleiman Bichi has expressed full support for First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s transformative “Every Home a Garden” movement focussing on food security and environmental sustainability.

6) All year round farming by farmers in Kano, Jigawa and Bauchi States.

7). All round year Typha grass cutting and seeking for ways to use it a energy in our homes.

8). Canal de-silting

9) flood and erosion control measures.

The HJRBDA under the leadership of Rabiu Suleiman Bichi vow to repair all storage reservoirs , some that had even stopped functioning for more than a decade. Staff are now been motivated as they all want to give their own contributions for HJRBDA to be great again.

We hope Engr. Rabiu Suleiman Bichi will meet with stakeholders from Kano state with the proposal for Greater Kano Water Supply and seek for President Tinubu’s approval to end water scarcity within Kano metropolitan.

Due to trust in leadership of Engr. Rabiu Suleiman Bichi of HJRBDA many are becoming farmers across the three states of Kano, Jigawa and Bauchi which will significantly increase rate of food production.

President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda on food security is achievable in Kano, Jigawa and Bauchi States under the leadership of Rabiu Suleiman Bichi as MD of HJRBDA.

Amb. Shehu Mustapha Chaji wrote from Kano