How Kaduna recovered 500,000 hectares of farmland from bandits — Commissioner

The Kaduna State Government says it has reclaimed more than 500,000 hectares of farmland previously controlled by bandits across the state in the last three years.

The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, disclosed this during the annual retreat of the Kano Correspondents’ Chapel in Kaduna.

Maiyaki said the recovery followed the government’s combination of military operations, community-based security initiatives, early-warning systems and engagement with traditional and religious leaders.

He explained that bandits had previously taken control of several communities, imposed taxes on residents, dictated farming activities and demanded payments before allowing families to conduct marriage ceremonies.

According to him, the restoration of security has enabled displaced farmers to return to their fields and resume agricultural activities.

“Security is the foundation upon which every other development rests,” Maiyaki said, adding that the administration had prioritised both kinetic and non-kinetic measures to address insecurity.

He said the state’s security architecture, supported by youths and community leaders, detected 75 potential threats between 2023 and early 2026, with 70 successfully addressed before they escalated into violent clashes.

Maiyaki also said the government had increased its agriculture budget from N1.4bn in 2023 to more than N100bn in 2026.

He said farmers had received free fertiliser and other support, resulting in an increase in maize production from an average of three bags per hectare to as much as 22 bags per hectare in some areas.

The commissioner added that the construction and rehabilitation of roads across 12 local government areas had improved access to farms, markets, schools, health facilities and security locations.

He said the roads had also reduced travel time, post-harvest losses and the response time of security and emergency agencies.

On education, Maiyaki said the number of out-of-school children in the state had dropped from 550,000 to 187,000, while tuition fees had been reduced by 50 per cent.

He added that the government had committed N1.3bn to scholarships and other educational support programmes.

In the health sector, he said maternal deaths had declined by nearly 20 per cent following the upgrade of 205 primary healthcare centres and the recruitment of 1,800 health workers annually.

Maiyaki further disclosed that the state’s free compressed natural gas bus service transported 3.6 million passengers within one year and saved commuters an estimated N3.8bn.

He said the initiative had also improved punctuality among civil servants and reduced transportation-related pressure on residents.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Kano Correspondents’ Chapel, Murtala Adewale, said the retreat was organised to deepen journalists’ understanding of the legal, security and ethical challenges associated with the 2027 general elections.

The retreat was themed, “2027 General Elections: Navigating Legal, Security and Ethical Challenges in the Media.”