The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, has attributed Nigeria’s current food crisis to the infiltration of portfolio farmers into the country’s agricultural system. According to the minister, these fake farmers, rather than genuine ones, have largely benefited from government interventions designed to support agriculture.
Speaking at the close-out ceremony of the Agricultural Input Resilience Programme in Abuja, Abdullahi highlighted that, in addition to insecurity, these fraudulent individuals have disrupted access to subsidized farm inputs. As a result, Nigerian farmers are forced to purchase these inputs at higher prices.
The Minister commended the Agricultural Input Resilience Programme, implemented by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), in collaboration with the African Fertiliser and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP) and the National Agriculture Development Fund (NADF), under the guidance of the Office of the Vice President.
Abdullahi noted that this programme aims to pinpoint the true needs of farmers and ensure that real farmers, not impostors, are targeted moving forward.
Michael Sudarkasa, President and CEO of AFAP, also spoke at the event, revealing that the nine-month initiative, conducted across nine states, seeks to identify the challenges farmers face and report these to the authorities for corrective action.
He raised concerns about the poor implementation of the Fertiliser Quality Act, which has allowed adulterated fertilisers to flood the market, undermining crop yields.
Sudarkasa emphasized the importance of collaboration between fertiliser blenders and the Fertiliser Supplier and Producers Association of Nigeria (FESPAN) to ensure the delivery of quality fertilisers to farmers.
He also called for the liberalisation of the agricultural inputs subsector, allowing private sector importers to supplement government efforts in the distribution of farm inputs.
Mohammed Ibrahim, Managing Director of NADF, highlighted that the initiative is focused on resolving key issues surrounding the availability, affordability, and quality of farm inputs.
He announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NADF and AFAP, which emerged from the just-concluded programme.
However, this MoU is designed to address the challenges facing farmers by providing financial support, developing farmer capacity, and enhancing policy implementation and research.
Ibrahim outlined three key areas covered by the MoU: comprehensive financial support for farmers, capacity-building initiatives, and policies to drive growth and development in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.