More than 10,000 farmers in Kogi State are set to benefit from a large scale federal intervention as the Federal Government began the distribution of farm inputs valued at hundreds of millions of naira in Lokoja on Wednesday.
The exercise, which took place at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security office, is part of a broader effort to improve food availability and support smallholder farmers across the country. Inputs being distributed include power tillers, water pumps, herbicides, liquid fertilisers and knapsack sprayers, with the overall value running into billions of naira.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said the initiative reflects the commitment of the current administration to strengthening food production nationwide.
The minister, who was represented by the ministry’s Deputy Director for Monitoring and Evaluation, Alhaji Abdulmalik Abdul Ganiyu, explained that the programme was designed to make essential farm inputs more accessible to farmers through an open and accountable process.
According to him, the ministry has prioritised short term support measures to ease the burden faced by farmers due to the high cost of inputs and basic farm equipment.
He noted that particular attention is being given to small scale farmers, who often lack the resources to procure such items on their own.
Kyari added that similar distributions would take place in Abia, Anambra, Cross River, Imo, Kwara, Rivers and Yobe states. He said beneficiaries would be reached through recognised commodity associations, cooperative societies, farmers with special needs and internally displaced persons.
He stressed that the overall objective is to increase food production, address current food challenges and move the country closer to achieving the zero hunger target under the Sustainable Development Goals.
The minister urged beneficiaries to put the inputs to proper use in order to achieve tangible results that would benefit both their households and the nation at large.
In his remarks, the Kogi State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Timothy Ojomah, described the intervention as inclusive, noting that it cuts across agricultural cooperative societies in the state.
He said the support would significantly enhance dry season farming and assured farmers that the items were being provided at no cost.
Ojomah expressed optimism that food production would improve considerably by 2026 and commended President Bola Tinubu for what he described as consistent progress in the agricultural sector.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria in Kogi State, Mr Saliu Adobanyi, expressed appreciation to both the federal and state governments for their continued support.
He encouraged farmers who received the inputs to return to their farms immediately and begin productive use of the materials.
On behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Esther Audu, Chairperson of the Nigeria Women in Agriculture Cooperative Federation Limited, described the gesture as timely and motivating.
She thanked President Tinubu and Kogi State Governor Ahmed Ododo, saying the intervention would go a long way in strengthening farmers’ capacity and improving food supply in the state.
