Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu has flagged off the free distribution of fertiliser and other agricultural inputs to farmers across the state’s 23 local government areas, warning that anyone found diverting the items will face the full weight of the law.

Aliyu disclosed that the state government procured 157,800 bags of assorted fertilisers, equivalent to 263 truckloads of NPK and Urea, valued at N7.71 billion, for distribution to genuine farmers.

He said each of the 23 local government areas would receive six truckloads of fertiliser free of charge.

According to the governor, his administration initially distributed fertiliser free to farmers on three occasions but later discovered that middlemen were diverting the commodity, preventing intended beneficiaries from accessing it. This prompted the government to sell fertiliser at subsidised rates last year.

“We have now introduced measures to curb the activities of these unpatriotic individuals who denied genuine farmers access to the free fertiliser.

“If we succeed in eliminating these sharp practices, the fertiliser distribution programme will continue to be free for our farmers,” he said.

Aliyu also announced the procurement of 12,800 bags of improved seeds, including Millet Super SOSAT, hybrid maize, beans, cowpea, sorghum and FARO 44 rice, alongside herbicides and insecticides for distribution across the state.

To boost agricultural mechanisation, the governor said the administration had procured 250 units of MF-375 Massey Ferguson tractors at a cost of N22.13 billion, adding that 75 per cent of the contract sum had already been paid and about 90 per cent of the tractors delivered.

He further disclosed that the Federal Government, through the Bank of Agriculture, had offered Sokoto State the opportunity to acquire an additional 100 Belarus tractors, with the state required to pay only 60 per cent of the cost of each tractor and its implements.

Chairman of the Committee for the Supervision of Fertiliser and Other Essential Commodities Distribution, Alhaji Chuso Abdullahi Dattijo, described the initiative as a demonstration of the administration’s commitment to ensuring farmers have timely access to quality agricultural inputs through a transparent and accountable distribution process.

He urged beneficiaries to make proper use of the fertiliser and adopt improved farming practices to increase productivity and improve livelihoods.

Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Tukur Alkali, commended the governor for the various interventions aimed at supporting farmers and achieving food security, noting that the ongoing construction of rural roads would further stimulate agricultural activities and attract investors.

The Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, also praised the governor’s agricultural policies, describing them as farmer-friendly initiatives capable of improving harvests and increasing food production.

Speaking on behalf of the 23 local government chairmen, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Dadi Adare, assured the governor that council chairmen would closely monitor the distribution process to ensure the fertiliser reached genuine farmers.

The flag-off ceremony was attended by APC leader in Sokoto State, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko; Deputy Governor Idris Muhammad Gobir; Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Kabir Ibrahim Kware; Chief Judge of Sokoto State, Justice Sa’idu Muhammad Sifawa; Grand Kadi Sodangi Shu’aibu Achida; APC North-West Zonal Secretary Isa Saddiq Achida; commissioners, traditional rulers and other government officials.