March 14, (THEWILL) – Adamawa is a state in northeastern Nigeria. It was created from old Gongola State in August 1991. Its capital and major town is Yola.
The state lies between 8O0 N and 11N and longitude 11.50 and 13.50 E. The climate is of the Tropical Continental North characterised by the Sudan savannah zones and the tropical hinterland by the northern and southern Guinea zones. There are two distinct seasons: the wet season, which starts from April to October and the dry season from November to April.
The state is a mountainous land crossed by the large river valleys – Benue, Gongola and Yedsarem. The valleys of the Mount Cameroon, Mandara Mountains and Adamawa Plateau form part of the landscape.
Bordered by Borno State to the northwest, Gombe State to the west and Taraba State to the southwest, its eastern part forms the national eastern border with Cameroon.
As an agriculturally-based state, the major occupation of the people is farming. The state’s economy mainly relies on livestock and crops, such as cotton, groundnuts, millet, sugar cane, arabica, guinea corn, tea, kola nuts cassava, guinea corn, rice and yams. Communities living on the banks of the rivers engage in fishing, while the Fulani are cattle rearers.
Geographically, Adamawa is categorised into the sub-Sudan and the northern Guinea Savannah zones. The sub-Sudan is endowed by thick forest, tall trees and tall grasses commonly found in the southern part of the State especially in temperate areas of Banga Plateau and others.
Cash crops grown by the people include cotton, cowpea, Bambara nuts, tomatoes, onions, pepper, and sugarcane among others. Fruits produced in the State include pawpaw, guava, cashew, mango, banana and orange.
The people of Adamawa, are noted for their rich cultural heritage, which reflects in their history, dances, dress patterns, craftsmanship and music.
Natural Resources
The minerals found in the state include marble, mercury, zinc, emerald, diamond, limestone, coal, tin, ruby, graphite, and others.
Tourist Sites
The following tourist sites exist in Adamawa: The Mandara Mountains, The Sukur, Ruwan Zafi, Kiri Dam, Gumti Park, Sassa Waterfall, Yadim Waterfalls, Sella Negis Waterfalls, Makam Walls, Fombina Palace Museum, Gorobi Rock Formation, Elephant House.
Agriculture and Rural Development
The Adamawa State Government has continued to develop agriculture through substantial budget allocations and support to farmers and their co-operative groups. The government voted the sum of N233 million for the purchase of agricultural inputs for the 2021/2022 farming season. Crops such as rice, maize and sorghum are on the priority list to benefit from the support for multiple cycle production.
The government said the measures were essential to boost agriculture and to attain food security. It added that the planned purchase of fertilisers, seedlings and herbicides will ultimately contribute to increased production, reduced food imports, increase in farmer access to the right inputs and enhanced food security across the country.
To ensure high quality of end-product, the government said inputs would be procured from reputable manufacturers and sold at subsidised rate to farmers for both wet and dry season farming. Through this arrangement, small-holder farmers, who are the major food producers, will practically benefit from the scheme.
According to the state government, the targeted inputs were carefully selected because they will support such crops as rice, maize and sorghum for multiple cycle production.
The government has also launched a N100 billion Agriculture Bond, which major feature is the use of technology and professional services to advance the sector. According to the Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, his administration is investing in agriculture with a lot of strategies lined up to spur productivity and enhance the living standard of farmers in the state.
At a retreat organised for farmers by the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Yola, the governor noted, “Without the understanding and buying of the use of modern and emerging technology like the Biotechnology and bio-safety regulations, efforts of the government to enhance Agricultural production through emerging technologies will bring vain.”
Fintiri said the government was giving the sector all that it takes because of the premium his administration placed on agriculture for which the N100 billion agriculture Bond was introduced as a practical move to ensure job creation and food availability.
Furthermore, the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has partnered the Adamawa State Government to boost wheat production in the country. To this effect, the authority has received land donations for wheat farming in Ribadu Village in the Fufore Local Government Area of the state.
The efforts by NALDA to improve the production of wheat is expected to boost the growth of the agricultural sector, enhance food security, cut annual import bill of the commodity as well as improve the economic well-being of Nigerians.
The NALDA is expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the communities to perfect the modalities for an integrated farm estate to boost the agricultural sector. The intervention which would engage about 1,000 youths from the community in massive wheat farming is expected to assist in curbing the huge $2 billion wheat import bill the country incurs annually.
FACT-FILE:
LGA: 21
Land Area: 14,254sqmi
Registered businesses: 103
Public primary schools: 1,1890 circa
Public secondary schools: 300 circa
University (3): Federal – 1, state – 1, private – 1
College of Legal Studies: 1
Polytechnic (2): Federal – 1, state – 1
College of Agriculture: State – 1
Nursing School & Midwifery (2): Federal – 1, state – 1
College of Health Technology: State – 2
College of Education (2): Federal – 1, state – 1
Technical school: State – 4
Total Revenue: N56.27bn @ 2020
Total Tax: N6.68bn @ 2020
IGR: N6.32bn @ 2020 (14.80% of total revenue)
FAAC: N47.94bn @ 2020 (85.20% of total revenue)
Domestic Debt: N98.90bn @ 2020
External Debt: $109.42m @ 2020
Unemployment rate: 55.9% @ 2020
Airport: 1
Economic Development: Adamawa Embarks on Road Construction, Electrification
The Adamawa State Government has said that it constructed 347 km of rural roads across the state, thus creating an enabling environment for business and improved life for rural dwellers. In an effort to meet the need of rural dwellers and boost job creation, the government earlier commissioned road projects in the Southern and Northern Senatorial Districts, with the 3.5km Izala-Gweda Mallam-Rafa-Wayam Road in Numan.
Governor Fintiri said the project was compelling due to the perennial flooding suffered by residents in the preceding years as such making it a priority pilot project.
“I am aware that thousands of residents usually move out of this area during the rainy season only to return after the rains to pick up the pieces of their lives and livelihood. This is unacceptable to this Government, which puts immense value on the welfare of its citizens. It is for this reason that this road project was among the first Township roads along with Michika, to be selected outside the State capital,” Governor Fintiri said.
Furthermore, the government recently commissioned the 33Kv mainline Toungo Electrification Project. It is the first phase from the Ganye Tee junction to Toungo, and linked to the Yola Electricity Distribution Company Main Station with 11Kv Low Tension, in Gamu, with installed transformers and LT distribution lines in both Gamu and Toungo.
Work is on-going for the conclusion and commissioning of the second phase of the electrification project, already 90% of the poles have been erected to take the line from Toungo to Kirri.
While commissioning the electricity project in Toungo, Fintiri described the completion of the abandoned electrification of Toungo as a promise kept to the people in the area,
“On that day I made a promise not only to connect Toungo to the National Grid, but also to redefine politics and re-establish trust between the politician and the electorate in Adamawa State. For me, as always, politics must be defined in its purest form – a simple call to service where trust is sacred. As politicians, while seeking for votes, our words shall always be our bonds,” the governor said.
Having delivered the project as promised, within two years of his administration, the governor, who expressed his satisfaction, said “A promise is fulfilled, despite the harsh economic crunch characterised by the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
He promised to commission what he termed as “More of the life-changing projects that will have direct meaning and impact on our state and our people,” soonest.
In Michika, Urban Roads flagged-off the distribution of grants to about 1,320 women from Madagali Local Government Area, was implemented.
The township roads with a complete drainage span of 7.8-kilometres form a part of the package for our Urban renewal campaign in the State, which the governor said was designed deliberately to bridge the infrastructural gap between the urban and semi-urban centres.
Governor Fintiri said it was the period of recuperation for Michika town and all the communities in the northern zone, because of the effect of the devastation caused by insurgency, “Which consumed our relatives, destroyed our infrastructure and even saw us fleeing our homes. The best way for the government to demonstrate sensitivity to the plight of the people is a commitment to fast track the recuperation process by rebuilding the infrastructure with the required speed,” he said.
The government said the projects were its modest way of encouraging people devastated and destabilized by the insurgency to return to their ancestral homes, reclaim them and their lives, as well as their livelihoods, while hoping that the project would serve as a catalyst for growth and development.
“This, indeed, is one sure way to build community resilience, reconstruct faith and shame the deadly merchants of conflict and purveyors of mayhem,” said Governor Fintiri.
The government however informed the people of more developmental project in progress one of which is the permanent site of the Adamawa State College of Health Technology, Michika, to commence academic activities before the end of the year.
Challenging factors: Insecurity, communial clashes, poor road network, poor power supply, multiple taxes by revenue officials.
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About the Author
Sam Diala is a Bloomberg Certified Financial Journalist with over a decade of experience in reporting Business and Economy. He is Business Editor at THEWILL Newspaper, and believes that work, not wishes, creates wealth.
