Bichi, who stated this at a formal handover ceremony on Tuesday in Kano, expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for entrusting him with the leadership of the authority.
He said his agenda were in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The new managing director pledged to promote food security, environmental sustainability and youth development across Kano, Jigawa, and Bauchi States.
“This moment is not just a personal milestone it signifies our collective commitment to national development and community well-being,” he said.
Bichi extended his appreciation to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, whose support he described as vital to advancing the administration’s agricultural vision.
He outlined his roadmap to include water resource management by 20 per cent boost in water-use efficiency through Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM).
Bichi also promised to optimised irrigation systems; increasing coverage from 54,000 to 240,000 hectares, aimed at raising paddy rice production from 216,000 tonnes to 1 million tonnes.
“The goal is to bridge the gap between millers’ demand (7 million tonnes) and current national output (4 million tonnes); Dam Rehabilitation to enhancing dam water retention capacity via de-silting and other remedial actions among others.
“A key focus of the administration is youth empowerment, with plans to train at least 5,000 youths across the three beneficiary states in areas such as modern irrigation, beekeeping, horticulture, greenhouse farming, hydroponics, and fodder production.
“The youth are central to unlocking our agricultural potential. With the right skills and innovation, they can overcome the challenges of climate change and low productivity,” he said.
He said the training programme would cover technical Skills in irrigation installation and maintenance, Sustainable Agricultural Practices, such as soil conservation and crop rotation.
“Entrepreneurship, with modules in business management and market access; Community Engagement, to encourage cross-cultural knowledge-sharing and cooperation.
“The Authority also aims to strengthen the agricultural value chain, from production to marketing, by fostering partnerships with local businesses and access to finance.
“We will work with the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), NASENI, and the Ministry for Livestock to support our farmers and trainees.
“We will drive this vision across Kano, Jigawa and Bauchi States, focusing on food security, environmental sustainability, and community well-being,” he said.
He also promised to prioritise the welfare of workers and transparent postings, anchored on merit and bureaucratic standards.
“We aim to create a supportive environment that boosts morale, increases productivity, and fosters trust among employees,” he said.
He acknowledged the efforts of the former leadership, assuring continuity of impactful initiatives while building on areas that need improvement.
“Together with government, NGOs, the private sector, and community leaders we can build a resilient agricultural future for the Hadejia Jama’are River Basin,” he said.
“We are not just investing in agriculture; we are investing in prosperity, peace, and progress,” he added.
