In its drive to boost food production and strengthen food security nationwide, the Federal Government has inaugurated the distribution of agricultural inputs to small-scale farmers in Niger State
Dr. Aliyu Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture, disclosed this on Friday in Minna during the flag-off ceremony for the distribution exercise.
He explained that the initiative was in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises food security.
“We have declared food security as a national state of emergency and we are committed to transforming the agriculture sector to make food available, accessible and affordable to all Nigerians,” Abdullahi said.
The minister listed the inputs being distributed to include herbicides, cocoa fertilizer, fungicides, knapsack sprayers, growth enhancers, and tomato seeds.
Others included power tillers and water pumps, which would be allocated to farmers through commodity associations, cooperative groups, persons with special needs, and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
He added that the ministry had rolled out several programmes and projects to address challenges facing farmers and ensure steady food supply.
According to him, the ministry was committed to ensuring that all sectoral programmes and initiatives are aligned towards actualising the presidential priority of food security.
Abdullahi expressed optimism that the initiative would boost agricultural productivity, improve food availability, and contribute to poverty reduction.
In his remarks, Dr. Marcus Olaniyi, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, noted that the Tinubu administration was committed to deploying all available mechanisms to make food affordable for Nigerians.
He further disclosed that 35 per cent of the distributed inputs were targeted at women farmers in line with the National Gender Policy on Agriculture.
Gov. Umaru Bago of Niger State commended the ministry for choosing Niger as the pilot state to launch its comprehensive agricultural initiative.
He said the programme would support small-scale farmers while promoting self-sustenance and self-reliance.
Bago also announced that Niger would launch a pilot scheme for two million women in agriculture in 2026. Under the scheme, participants would receive chickens, goats, sheep, and crops to support their livelihoods.
Highlighting Niger’s agricultural achievements, the governor revealed that the state exported sesame seeds worth $2.2 million in 2025 through the Nigerian Women Police Cooperative in Farming.
He added that plans were underway to establish sesame processing centres.
The governor further disclosed that Niger State would revive the Cooperative Bank with N2 billion, noting that it would operate as a microfinance bank dedicated to agriculture, to ease farmers’ access to credit and reduce the burden of high interest rates.
