The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security says it has distributed about 1.9 million bags of fertiliser to roughly one million farmers across Nigeria within the last two years as part of efforts to strengthen local food production and improve national food security,
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, disclosed this in Abuja during the ministry’s quarterly interaction with journalists, civil society groups, farmers’ organizations, agro allied businesses, professional bodies, development partners and other stakeholders.
According to him, the engagement was organized to review the ministry’s activities and obtain suggestions that could help Nigeria achieve food sovereignty and reduce its dependence on imported food.
Kyari explained that the ministry has intensified programmes aimed at improving soil health and fertiliser availability for farmers. He said more than 12,000 litres of organic fertiliser had been distributed while farmers were being trained on sustainable soil management practices.
He also stated that regulatory oversight in the fertiliser industry had been strengthened. A total of 109 fertiliser inspectors have been trained and equipped, while over 329 operators and other industry stakeholders received training on compliance with regulations.
The minister added that the government had taken stronger steps to curb the circulation of substandard fertilizers in the market, including prosecuting offenders involved in the practice.
“We have built a National Reference Laboratory and upgraded the National Fertilizer Management Platform. These measures will improve fertiliser quality control, support compliance with regulations and promote transparency within the supply chain,” he said.
Kyari further noted that more than 3,500 farmers had been trained in the use of organic fertilizers and soil improvement techniques to encourage environmentally sustainable farming.
He cited findings from the 2025 Agricultural Performance Survey conducted by the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services in collaboration with the ministry and other agencies. The survey showed increased production in several major crops including rice, maize, sorghum, millet, cowpea, yam and cassava when compared with 2024 output levels.
Kyari said the government’s objective is to expand domestic production and gradually reduce reliance on imports while ensuring that nutritious food remains affordable for Nigerians.
He stated that recent interventions were already yielding results, claiming that prices of several staple foods have fallen significantly across the country.
“Our priority is to increase local production and make healthy food accessible to citizens. The impact of our efforts is beginning to reflect in food prices nationwide,” he said.
The minister also explained that the government has concentrated on developing major agricultural value chains such as rice, maize, wheat, millet, sorghum, yam, cocoa, kenaf, cowpea, cassava, soybean, cotton, onion, tomato and oil palm.
According to him, the supply of improved seeds, agrochemicals, safety equipment and pest management kits, alongside training programmes carried out in 2024 and 2025, has strengthened productivity within these value chains.
He added that these initiatives were helping farmers boost yields, minimize post-harvest losses and improve the overall quality of their produce.
Kyari said the interventions were also enabling many small-scale farmers to move beyond subsistence farming into more profitable agribusiness activities, thereby contributing to employment creation and economic growth.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, emphasised the need for public participation and transparency in governance.
He noted that democratic governance becomes stronger when citizens remain actively involved, the media reports responsibly and public officials maintain open channels of communication.
Idris said the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains committed to implementing reforms under the Renewed Hope agenda which focuses on economic stability, institutional reform, infrastructure development and human capital advancement.
He commended the agriculture ministry for organizing the forum and for its efforts toward improving food security in the country.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, reiterated the government’s resolve to ensure that Nigeria attains food sovereignty.
Earlier, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Marcus Ogunbiyi, stressed the importance of collaboration among stakeholders in transforming Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
He said sustained dialogue and partnership with farmers, development partners and industry players would help improve programme delivery and strengthen interventions across the agricultural value chain.
