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By Chinyere Anyanwu
The Bank of Agriculture (BOA) has commenced the nationwide distribution of fertilisers, improved maize seeds and crop protection products to about 500,000 smallholder farmers under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund, in a major push to boost food production and strengthen national food security.
The intervention, which covers more than 20 states, is expected to support the cultivation of about 520,000 hectares of farmland and produce an estimated 2.6 million tonnes of additional food, as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to lower food prices and improve rural livelihoods.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Agriculture, Ayo Sotinrin, disclosed this during the flag-off of the distribution exercise at Karau-Karau in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Sotinrin, who was represented by the bank’s Divisional Head of Finance and Strategy, Osho Adekunle, said the intervention forms part of a nationwide agricultural support programme designed to strengthen Nigeria’s food production capacity and provide direct support to smallholder farmers.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the bank’s Head of Operations Lead, Office of the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Adam Mohammed, the programme is one of the flagship agricultural interventions under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Sotinrin said the initiative is expected to make a significant contribution to Nigeria’s food basket by expanding cultivation and improving productivity across participating states.
“The intervention formed part of a nationwide programme targeting nearly 500,000 farmers, who will cultivate about 520,000 hectares of farmland, with an expected output of at least 2.6 million tonnes of additional food for Nigeria’s food basket,” he said.
He disclosed that the programme has already made considerable progress, with thousands of farmers already benefiting from financial and input support. “The programme has already recorded significant progress, with close to 200,000 farmers financed, while 1.8 million bags of fertiliser and 329,000 bags of quality, high-yielding seeds were being distributed through 20 Farmer Aggregation Companies in more than 20 states,” Sotinrin stated.
The BOA chief said the intervention demonstrates the Federal Government’s determination to move beyond policy pronouncements by providing practical support that enables farmers to increase production.
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He noted that the programme places strong emphasis on inclusiveness, with more than one-third of the beneficiaries being women, underscoring the government’s commitment to expanding opportunities for female farmers and promoting equitable participation in agriculture.
“This initiative is a concrete expression of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President, a policy that moves beyond promises to deliver structure, funding and institutional support for agriculture.
“It tells every Nigerian farmer that they are not alone, as the government and its institutions stand with them from the soil to the market,” he said.
Sotinrin reiterated that the Bank of Agriculture remains committed to serving as the Federal Government’s primary vehicle for delivering agricultural interventions directly to farmers across the country.
He urged beneficiaries to make judicious use of the farm inputs to maximise yields and improve their incomes.
According to him, farmers should adhere to recommended agronomic practices, maintain proper farm records and promptly report any challenges encountered during the farming season to ensure the programme achieves its intended objectives.
The intervention comes as the Federal Government continues to implement measures aimed at increasing domestic food production, reducing dependence on food imports and cushioning the effects of rising production costs on farmers.
By providing subsidised fertilisers, improved seeds and crop protection products, the government hopes to enhance crop yields, improve farmers’ productivity and strengthen the country’s agricultural value chain.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Solomon Mathew commended the President Bola Tinubu administration for the intervention, describing it as timely given the rising cost of agricultural inputs.
He said the support would ease the financial burden on smallholder farmers and enable them to cultivate larger portions of their farmland during the current planting season.
Mathew expressed optimism that the programme would translate into higher harvests, improved household incomes and increased food availability across the country, while urging the government to sustain the intervention in future farming seasons.
