The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) has begun a strategic review of its Farm Input Supply Programme, engaging processors and other agribusiness stakeholders to refine delivery systems and improve agricultural productivity nationwide.
The review formed the focus of a stakeholders’ roundtable with processors held in Lagos, where lessons from the pilot phase of the programme were examined alongside proposals for a more efficient and responsive second phase.
Speaking at the forum, the Executive Secretary of NADF, Mohammed Ibrahim, said the Fund was committed to strengthening its intervention framework through evidence-based learning and continuous process improvement.
He explained that the pilot phase was designed to test mechanisms for improving access to quality inputs across different grower systems but acknowledged that operational challenges affected planting timelines and yields.
Ibrahim, who was represented by the Head of Corporate Services, Abiodun Sosanya, said the identified challenges underscored the complexity of implementing large-scale agricultural input interventions, adding that the Fund was working closely with processors to improve accountability, coordination and efficiency.
He noted that feedback from industry players would be critical to shaping a more transparent, climate-responsive and sustainable second phase of the programme, with the ultimate goal of strengthening Nigeria’s agricultural input systems and boosting productivity.
Participants at the roundtable welcomed the initiative while calling for improvements ahead of the next phase. The Chief Executive Officer of Vemac Farms Limited, Femi Ojelade, stressed the importance of stronger collaboration among government agencies, processors and smallholder farmers, particularly in ensuring timely delivery of inputs before planting seasons.
Similarly, the Managing Director of Arog Bio Allied Agro Services Limited, Aroge Temitope, described the programme as a key support for food security and rural wealth creation. He disclosed that through the NADF Agro 1.0 scheme, his company was able to cultivate sufficient cassava for the 2025 and 2026 seasons across Ogun, Ondo and Ekiti states, supporting its outgrower network.
Providing insights into the next phase, the Head of Strategy and Planning at NADF, Adebanke Fajana, said the Fund aims to reach five million smallholder farmers under the Agro 2.0 scheme. She explained that NADF is leveraging processors within the organised private sector as effective channels to reach farmers while strengthening coordination and implementation.
Fajana added that the Fund operates a robust monitoring and evaluation system, with regional and state-level monitors assessing cultivation progress, input utilisation and adoption of good agronomic practices to ensure that supplied inputs translate into measurable productivity gains.
According to her, the approach is designed not only to improve access to inputs, but also to promote their proper use, maximise yields and deliver sustainable impact across the agricultural value chain.
