James Emejo in Abuja
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has said the federal government’s ongoing fertiliser distribution programme underscored its commitment to strengthening food security, supporting smallholder farmers, and expanding local agricultural production under the State of Emergency on Food Security declared by President Bola Tinubu.
Kyari, who spoke at the flag-off of the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) fertiliser distribution exercise in Katsina over the weekend, said the intervention was a strategic step towards boosting agricultural output, creating jobs, and ensuring improved food availability across the country.
He noted that the programme aligns with the administration’s broader food systems transformation agenda, stressing that sustained support to farmers remains critical to reducing Nigeria’s dependence on food imports and achieving long-term food sovereignty.
According to him, the initiative demonstrates renewed federal resolve to deepen investments in agriculture, particularly at the grassroots, where smallholder farmers remain central to national food production.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive of NADF, Mohammed Abu Ibrahim, said the Fund had commenced the distribution of 100,800 bags of fertiliser to 25,200 smallholder farmers across Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi and Jigawa states under the Renewed Hope Farm Input Support Programme (FISP).
He explained that each beneficiary farmer would receive four bags of fully subsidised fertiliser, while each participating state is allocated 20,160 bags for distribution to 5,040 farmers identified through state governments and the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN).
Ibrahim said the North-West rollout forms part of a nationwide intervention targeting 515,720 bags of fertiliser for 128,930 smallholder farmers across the federation, adding that the programme is designed to reduce production costs and improve access to quality inputs.
He stressed that accountability mechanisms had been embedded in the process, noting that all fertilisers are locally produced, traceable, and clearly marked “Not for Sale” to prevent diversion and ensure targeted delivery to genuine farmers.
He further disclosed that NADF would deploy more than 1,800 extension advisory workers nationwide to provide technical guidance to farmers, improve agronomic practices, and enhance productivity across value chains.
Ibrahim also highlighted ongoing interventions in the North-West, including support for over 5,000 ginger farmers affected by blight in Kaduna State, as well as assistance to onion farmers impacted by flooding in Kebbi and Sokoto States.
In his remarks, Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, commended President Tinubu for prioritising agriculture as a central pillar of economic growth and food security.
Radda described the fertiliser distribution programme as a strategic intervention that would significantly boost agricultural productivity, strengthen rural livelihoods, and enhance overall food security in the country.
The flag-off ceremony attracted senior government officials, including representatives of the governors of Kaduna and Jigawa states, ministers, members of the National Assembly, and key stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
