The Bank of Agriculture (BOA) has commenced the nationwide distribution of fertiliser, improved maize seeds and crop protection products to smallholder farmers under the Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund (RH-SVCF), with a target of producing an additional 2.6 million tonnes of food to strengthen Nigeria’s food security.

The intervention, one of the Federal Government’s largest smallholder support programmes, is expected to benefit nearly 500,000 farmers who will cultivate about 520,000 hectares of farmland across the country, while improving rural livelihoods and boosting agricultural productivity.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank, Ayo Sotinrin, disclosed this during the flag-off of the input distribution at the Dutse Modern Stadium in Jigawa State.

According to a statement issued by the Head, Operations Lead, Office of the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Agriculture, Adam Mohammed, the programme has already recorded significant progress, with nearly 200,000 farmers financed, while 1.8 million bags of fertiliser and 329,000 bags of quality, high-yielding seeds are being distributed through 20 Farmer Aggregation Companies across more than 20 states.

Sotinrin represented by the Divisional Head, Finance and Strategy, Osho Hakeem Adekunle, said over one-third of the beneficiaries are women, reflecting the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive agricultural development and ensuring that women farmers benefit from interventions aimed at improving food production.

He described the initiative as a key component of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, designed to translate government agricultural policies into practical support for farmers through access to finance, institutional backing and timely supply of quality farm inputs.

“This initiative is a concrete expression of the Renewed Hope Agenda, a policy that moves beyond promises to deliver structure, funding and institutional support for agriculture.

“It tells every Nigerian farmer that they are not alone, as the government and its institutions stand with them from the soil to the market,” he said.

The BOA chief said the bank was proud to serve as the vehicle through which the Federal Government’s agricultural intervention was reaching farmers nationwide, adding that the objective was not only to improve this year’s harvest but also to build a sustainable agricultural system capable of raising incomes, strengthening markets and ensuring long-term food security.

Commending Staragric Nigeria Limited for its role in implementing the programme, Sotinrin described the company as more than a logistics partner, saying it had become a custodian of farmers’ trust.

He stressed that transparency, diligence and accountability in the distribution of the inputs would determine the credibility and future expansion of the intervention.

“The Bank has channelled resources through you because you accepted responsibility for delivery, stewardship and accountability.
“How you deploy these inputs and account for every bag of seed and litre of crop protection product will determine the credibility and scalability of this model,” he said.

Addressing the beneficiaries, Adekunle described farmers as the centrepiece of the intervention, saying the programme’s success would ultimately be measured by improved harvests, higher yields, increased incomes and enhanced national food security.

He urged the farmers to make judicious use of the inputs, comply with recommended agronomic practices, keep proper farm records and promptly report any challenges encountered during the farming season.

According to him, the intervention is built on a partnership involving the Federal Government, the Bank of Agriculture, input aggregators and farmers, with each stakeholder expected to play its role responsibly to guarantee the programme’s success.

Adekunle assured participants that the bank would continue to monitor implementation, evaluate outcomes and apply lessons learnt to improve and scale up future interventions.
“Our objective is not a single season’s success but sustained, bankable agricultural transformation that raises incomes, strengthens markets and secures food for our nation,” he said.

Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of Tukunyar Gwari Seed Nigeria Limited, Alhaji Nuhu Lawal, described the initiative as a strategic partnership between his company and the Bank of Agriculture aimed at transforming agriculture into a profitable enterprise.

Lawal said the Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund brings together farmers, processors, financiers and investors to improve productivity, increase yields and strengthen agricultural value chains.

He added that beyond boosting food production, the initiative is expected to reduce poverty and tackle insecurity by creating sustainable livelihoods through farming.

On behalf of the beneficiaries, Solomon Mathew described the intervention as timely, saying it would ease the burden of purchasing farm inputs, which have become increasingly expensive, and enable smallholder farmers to cultivate larger portions of their land.

He expressed confidence that
the support would increase food production, improve farmers’ incomes and contribute significantly to the Federal Government’s food security agenda.