.As Leadway Assurance disburse N396m claims to smallholder farmers

Commissioners for Agriculture from Borno, Plateau, Taraba and Kaduna states have called for stronger agricultural insurance in the country to mitigate losses incurred by farmers due to climate change.
This is even as Leadway Assurance, one of Nigeria’s leading insurance providers in partnership with the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU) and PULA Advisors disbursed a total of N396,697,672 in insurance pay-outs to smallholder farmers at the 2025 Wet Season Insurance Pay-out Ceremony held under the National Agribusiness Planning Mechanism (NAPM).

The pay-out, which took place in Abuja yesterday, benefited farmers in Plateau, Borno, Kaduna, and Taraba States, reinforcing the critical role of agricultural insurance in safeguarding livelihoods, stabilising food production, and enabling farmers to recover from climate-related losses.
The ceremony provided a platform to review outcomes from the recently concluded wet season, present verified yield data, and recognise beneficiary farmers.
It also created an avenue for forward-looking discussions among key stakeholders, fostering stronger collaboration and strategic alignment ahead of the 2025/2026 dry season farming.

In his goodwill message at the event, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Agriculture, Murtala Mohammed Dabo, said that one of the major challenges facing farmers in Nigeria presently is food importation by the government.
He noted that many farmers have lost interest in returning to the farms because of the losses they incurred following mass importation of food into the country.
Dabo commended the management of Leadway and their partners for coming to the aid of farmers who experienced losses due to the effect of climate change.

Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of Leadway Assurance, Gboyega Lesi, said, “This pay-out underscores our promise to stand by our farmers when it matters most. “Agricultural insurance is a vital tool for building resilience within Nigeria’s food systems, and we are proud to support farmers in mitigating the impact of climate risks.”
He said the pay-out reflects what is possible when public and private sector partners align around a shared vision for agricultural transformation.

“By leveraging data-driven insurance solutions, we ensure that vulnerable farmers are not left behind amid climate uncertainties”, he said.
Also speaking, Fatona Ayoola, Global Head, Agricultural Risks Solutions at Leadway Assurance, noted that Leadway Assurance, views agricultural resilience as vital to Nigeria’s food security, and its commitment to claims payment exemplifies this ethos.
“We understand that empowering farmers to recover from losses, rebuild, reinvest, and sustain their operations fosters the trust and confidence needed to continue investing in the production of food that nourishes the nation and builds our food systems”, he said, while commending the PFSCU’s NAPM template which was conceptualized to clearly outline functional public-private partnerships in action.

In his own remarks, the Country Manager of Pula Advisors, Dr. Michael Enahoro, noted that the partnership with PFSCU and Leadway Assurance proves that indemnifying Nigeria agricultural production is workable and can be handled at scales to ensure food security.
He commended the state governments that keyed into the programme for protecting their farmers and building their resilience against climate shocks and variability.
He also thanked Bayer Foundation for supporting the NAPM risk management exercise and expressed his confidence in their willingness to increase their support in alignment with the current season’s visions and objectives.

In 2024, Leadway and its partners paid N110 million in agricultural insurance claims to 1,138 Nigerian farmers who experienced total yield losses following the outbreak of ginger blight disease. This consistency in fulfilling obligations to policyholders has established Leadway Assurance and its partners as pivotal players in strengthening resilient agricultural systems and advancing food security in Nigeria.