• Bauchi, Borno distribute subsidised farm inputs, grants

Farmers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) have decried the non-release of their 6,800 free bags of fertiliser by the FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat for the wet season farming.

Giving the agency till the end of this week to release the inputs, AFAN noted that the fertiliser consignment was handed over to the agency about a month ago by the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), under the Renewed Hope Farm Input Support Programme (FISP), for distribution to farmers to boost food production during the rainy season.

In Borno State, however, the government, in collaboration with the North East Development Commission (NEDC), has flagged off the distribution of free fertilisers to 1,000 vulnerable women-farmers to boost food security and livelihoods in the state.

Kicking off the initiative in Maiduguri yesterday, the state’s First Lady, Prof. Falmata Babagana Zulum, said the farm input distribution is part of the state’s efforts to boost food production through women’s economic empowerment.

She noted that the collaborative farming support “also symbolises hope, resilience and our collective commitment to empowering women, strengthening food security and advancing sustainable agricultural development across the state and the North-East.”

In a related development, the Bauchi State Government said yesterday that it has started paying out a grant of N500,000 to each of another 1,250 youths and women trained in 2025, totalling N625 million.

Describing the support as an investment, not charity, Governor Bala Mohammed urged the beneficiaries to use the funds to build sustainable businesses, stressing that it is about productivity, enterprise, employment generation, and the future prosperity of the state.

Also, towards cutting production costs, Mohammed announced the sale of subsidised NPK fertiliser at N20,000 per bag, against the actual cost of N38,000, assuring that adequate quantities have already been made available for the 2026 farming season.

Expressing frustration at the non-release of the fertilisers, the Chairman of the FCT chapter of AFAN, Dr Perpetual Okafor, told newsmen in Abuja that the farmers were seriously agitated by their alleged denial of access to the distributed fertilisers under NADF.

Okafor said the farmers had accused her of withholding their fertiliser despite submitting their names as beneficiaries, stating that she had repeatedly contacted the management of the FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat after confirming that the fertilisers were in the agency’s warehouse.

According to her, the officials have neither responded to her calls nor granted her requests for a meeting to facilitate the distribution of the inputs. She further disclosed that farmers had also protested over the non-release of the fertilisers, but to no avail.

Recalling that the flag-off of the fertiliser distribution was on June 25, 2026, she regretted that the wet season farming would soon be over and the fertilisers would no longer be useful to the farmers.

Meanwhile, Mrs Zulum regretted that “despite their enormous contributions, many women still face challenges in accessing essential farming inputs.” According to her, “agriculture remains the backbone of the state’s economy, with thousands of women playing a significant role in farming, food processing, livestock management and agricultural trade.”

Against this backdrop, she stressed that, by providing quality fertilisers to these women farmers, partners “are investing in higher crop yields, improved household incomes and greater economic independence.”

In the meantime, Governor Mohammed has warned government officials against diverting or hoarding the farm input, stating during the flag-off of the sale at Bununu in Tafawa Balewa Local Council Area that the intervention targets the reduction of post-harvest losses, higher farm incomes, and stronger rural economies.

He noted that climate change had forced a shift to modern techniques, improved inputs, and better extension services. According to him, “agriculture today is knowledge-driven. Success depends not only on the size of one’s farm but also on the ability to apply innovation, technology, and good agronomics.”