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By Chinyere Anyanwu
To ensure that onion farmers in Sokoto State recover from losses occasioned by flooding and climate-related challenges, the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) has flagged off the first phase of its Onion Intervention Programme in the state.
The programme, officially flagged off at the weekend by the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NADF, Muhammad Ibrahim, who was represented by the agency’s Assistant General Secretary, Muazu Ibrahim, is also aimed at restoring production capacity of the farmers and strengthening resilience within the onion value chain.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ibrahim noted that onion farmers in Sokoto, Kebbi, Yobe and Borno states were among the worst affected by recent flooding, stressing that the disasters disrupted livelihoods, local markets and national food supply.
“The onion value chain is strategic to rural livelihoods and food security. This intervention is a deliberate step to ensure affected farmers return to their farms without delay,” he said.
He said the programme, implemented in collaboration with state governments and other stakeholders, commenced with the distribution of critical farm inputs and aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Ibrahim assured beneficiaries that the exercise would be guided by transparency, accountability and equity, adding that all inputs had been properly verified to reach genuine farmers.
In his remarks, the President of the National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN), Isa Aliyu, described the intervention as timely, saying it would help farmers recover from the combined effects of flooding and poor-quality seeds experienced during the 2024 farming season.
Aliyu disclosed that 600 farmers in Sokoto State would benefit from the programme, cultivating 300 hectares of land, with each farmer allocated 0.5 hectares.
He commended the Sokoto State government for providing logistics, security and an enabling environment that ensured the smooth take-off of the intervention.
For his part, the Permanent Secretary, Sokoto State Ministry of Agriculture, Almustapha Alkali, said the relief inputs would significantly boost onion production in the 2025/2026 farming season if properly utilised.
He added that the state government’s recent flag-off of a modern onion storage facility would help reduce post-harvest losses, preserve produce and enhance farmers’ incomes.
The ceremony marked the commencement of the Onion Intervention Programme in Sokoto, with stakeholders expressing optimism that the initiative would revive the state’s onion subsector and contribute to national food security.
