Amidst efforts to strengthen food security and boost agricultural productivity under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) on Wednesday flagged off the Farm Input Support Programme (FISP) for the North Central geo-political zone.

The programme is expected to provide 80,640 bags of subsidised NPK fertiliser to 20,160 smallholder farmers across Niger, Benue, Nasarawa and Kwara States, with the aim of increasing yield in priority, reducing production costs and improve food supply.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, the Executive Secretary/CEO of NADF, Mohammed Abu Ibrahim, described FISP as a strategic intervention designed to improve farmers’access to quality and affordable farm inputs.

He said the initiative is fully aligned with President Tinubu’s vision of transforming agriculture into a major driver of economic growth, job creation and national development.

According to Ibrahim, the programme is deliberately structured to ensure that support reaches genuine farmers cultivating crops that are critical to food security and economic growth.

“FISP is not fertiliser distribution for the sake of distribution. It is targeted support designed to get fertiliser to the right farmers, for the right crops, at the right time. Our focus is on increasing productivity, improving farm output and supporting a more stable food market,” he said.

He explained that NADF identified priority crops in each participating state based on comparative advantage and production potential. In Niger State, the programme focuses on rice, maize and yam production, while farmers in Benue State will benefit from support for rice, yam and soybean cultivation.

The NADF boss disclosed that all fertilisers supplied under the programme are made in Nigeria, fully traceable and clearly branded “NOT FOR SALE” to prevent diversion and ensure accountability. He added that every bag has been mapped to verified beneficiaries through a rigorous validation process involving stakeholder engagement and beneficiary screening.

Niger state Governor Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commitment to agricultural transformation, describing the intervention as a practical demonstration of the President’s determination to achieve food security and economic prosperity through strategic investments in agriculture.

He noted that empowering smallholder farmers with critical inputs remains one of the most effective ways to increase food production, improve rural livelihoods and strengthen the agricultural value chain.

Governor Bago also praised the leadership of NADF, led by Mohammed Abu Ibrahim, for its consistent support to Nigeria’s agricultural revolution through targeted, innovative and impact-driven programmes that directly benefit farmers and rural communities.

According to him, NADF has continued to play a vital role in advancing the country’s food security objectives by supporting initiatives that enhance productivity, stimulate economic activities and create opportunities across the agricultural sector.

Ibrahim further stated that beyond input distribution, the programme is designed to generate measurable outcome, assuring robust monitoring and evaluation framework has been put on place to track productivity levels, yield improvements and overall impact on beneficiaries.

“The real success of this programme will not be measured by today’s ceremony but by what happens on the farms in the coming months. We are committed to tracking results and using evidence to strengthen future interventions,” he said.

He urged beneficiaries to utilise the fertiliser responsibly and strictly for the intended purpose, stressing that farmers remain critical partners in the nation’s quest to achieve sustainable food security.

Also speaking, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the programme reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing food insecurity through increased support for farmers.

According to him, the timing of the intervention is strategic as it coincides with the onset of the rainy season when fertiliser demand is highest.

He noted that the NADF, as an agency of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, is designed to carried out these kind of specific interventions in the agricultural sector.

The Minister further noted that similar interventions would be implemented across other states as part of broader efforts to stimulate agricultural production and enhance food sovereignty.

The flag-off ceremony was attended by the Governor of Niger State, Farmer Mohammed Umaru Bago; the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari; the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi; members of the National Assembly; traditional rulers; farmer associations; development partners; and other stakeholders across the agricultural value chain.

The launch of FISP in the North Central zone marks another milestone in the Federal Government’s efforts to increase domestic food production, strengthen agricultural value chains, improve food affordability and deliver on President Tinubu’s vision of a food-secure, prosperous and economically resilient Nigeria.