Smallholder farmers in Jigawa State have received a major boost for the 2026 wet season farming with access to farm inputs and single-digit loans under a partnership between the Bank of Agriculture (BoA) and WACOT Limited.
The intervention, implemented under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Smallholder Farmer Support and Value Chain Programme, is designed to improve farmers’ productivity through access to quality inputs, financing, extension services and guaranteed market opportunities.
Speaking at the programme’s flag-off in Jigawa, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Agriculture, Ayo Sotinrin, represented by the Executive Director, Operations and Technology, Tosin Salami, described the initiative as a new model for agricultural financing that integrates government, financial institutions and the private sector.
According to him, beneficiaries will receive improved seeds, fertilisers, agrochemicals, technical support and guaranteed off-take arrangements to enhance productivity and profitability.
Sotinrin said the national intervention targets more than two million smallholder farmers across over 20 states through the distribution of over 10 million bags of fertiliser, improved seeds and structured financing, adding that more than one-third of the beneficiaries are women.
He disclosed that about 200,000 farmers are expected to benefit during the current wet season, while the figure is projected to increase to 500,000 during the dry season.
“Our goal is not only to provide inputs but to significantly increase farmers’ yields. With improved seeds, quality inputs and proper agronomic support, we expect productivity to rise from the current one to one-and-a-half tonnes per hectare to between three and five tonnes per hectare,” he said.
Sotinrin also revealed plans to expand irrigation support to enable year-round farming, allowing smallholder farmers to cultivate up to four times annually instead of relying solely on rainfall.
He explained that each beneficiary would receive an input package comprising improved seeds, two to three bags of fertiliser and about 20 litres of agrochemicals.
The BoA boss clarified that the intervention is a loan programme—not a grant—with a single-digit interest rate of nine per cent, financed through Federal Government intervention funds.
According to him, each package is valued at about ₦500,000, while participating farmers are expected to generate up to ₦1.5 million at the end of the production cycle. He added that the loans, repayable within nine months, would be disbursed through accredited farmer aggregation companies, including WACOT Limited.
He urged beneficiaries to repay the loans promptly to sustain the revolving fund and enable more farmers to benefit from subsequent interventions.
Sotinrin also commended the Jigawa State Government for prioritising agriculture through investments in extension services, irrigation and climate-smart farming, while praising President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for placing food security and agricultural financing at the centre of national development.
Managing Director of WACOT Limited, Naveen Chaurasia, said the company remains committed to improving smallholder farmers’ access to quality inputs, modern agronomic practices and structured out-grower schemes for sesame, rice and soybean production.
He noted that poor-quality farm inputs and weak agronomic practices have continued to limit productivity, stressing that the partnership seeks to reverse the trend by ensuring farmers have access to the right inputs and knowledge to improve yields and incomes.
Representing the Gumel Emirate Council, Alhaji Musa Ayuba described the intervention as timely, noting that it would strengthen farming communities and support sesame production, a major economic activity in the emirate.
He urged the Bank of Agriculture to sustain affordable agricultural financing and expand insurance coverage to protect farmers against climate-related risks, while assuring that the traditional institution would mobilise farmers to participate in the programme and encourage prompt loan repayment.
