The Federal Government says Nigeria’s annual wheat production has increased from 120,000 metric tonnes to 420,000 metric tonnes through the implementation of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP).
The government said the initiative was being implemented as part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Ademola Adenle, Senior Special Adviser on Agriculture and Innovation to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Saturday while reviewing developments in the agricultural sector.
NAGS-AP is a flagship Federal Government initiative designed to bridge food supply gaps and promote food sovereignty by providing subsidised, quality agricultural inputs directly to smallholder farmers.
Adenle said the scheme was designed to improve farmers’ access to essential inputs required to increase productivity.
According to him, the government was focused on ensuring that farmers had access to critical agricultural inputs, including fertilisers, improved seeds and extension services.
“We have implemented NAGS-AP under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“The whole idea is to provide inputs to farmers, such as fertilisers, chemicals and good essential services, through agro-dealers,” he remarked.
Adenle said the initiative had contributed to a 300 per cent increase in the production of various crops cultivated by farmers, particularly wheat.
“We have recorded about a 300 per cent increase in wheat production.
“Before, we were producing around 120,000 metric tonnes annually, which was the baseline.
“But with the introduction of inputs provided under the Renewed Hope Agenda, wheat farmers have enjoyed a 300 per cent increase in production.
“So, that is massive, from 120,000 tonnes to 420,000 tonnes annually, that is huge,” he said.
He added that the ministry would soon commence reforms covering various aspects of the agricultural sector to strengthen the system and address structural challenges.
Adenle attributed the country’s low agricultural productivity partly to the existing Land Use Act, which he described as outdated.
“We are going to address the issue of the Land Use Act, which is one of the structural problems of the agricultural sector in Nigeria.
“The Land Use Act is quite old, we are currently using the 1978 Land Use Act which, obviously, vests power in the hands of state governments and has an inefficient traditional system of accessing land.
“That has affected smallholders, because smallholder farmers only cultivate an average of 0.5 to two hectares of land.
“So, how do we increase that to enhance production is what we are going to be working on,” he said.
He emphasised that the proposed reforms would cover all segments of the agricultural sector and address challenges across the value chain, from production and processing to distribution and marketing.
“With that reform in place, it will help enhance productivity and increase the level of income among farmers, among others,” he submitted.
