FG Distributes Free Agricultural Inputs to Smallholder Farmers to Boost All-year-round farming, other initiatives
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has distributed Free Agricultural Inputs and Equipment to Smallholder Farmers in Niger State as part of efforts aimed at achieving All-Year-Round Farming, enhance Food Production, Economic growth as well as ensure Food and Nutrition Security.
During the Flag off ceremony for the distribution of Free Agricultural Inputs and Equipment to Cooperative Smallholder farmers including women, youth and people with special needs held at Minna, Niger State, Friday, 12th September, 2025, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi disclosed that the initiative is one of the many robust policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration aimed at supporting year-round farming in Nigeria in order to build resilient and sustainable agricultural ecosystems that would ensure food security.
Abdullahi who highlighted that the Ministry is implementing many agricultural programmes and projects designed to support year-round farming, noted that the scheme aligns with numerous economic reforms targeted towards boosting productive capacity in the country, create jobs, and lower the cost of living while also ensuring inclusivity
According to him, ‘’we have declared food security as a national state of emergency and we are committed to transforming the agriculture sector to make food available, accessible and affordable to all Nigerians,”
In a statement by the Ministry’s Head of Information Department, Ezeaja Ikemefuna, the Minister highlighted that the inputs being distributed include herbicides, cocoa fertilizer, fungicide, knapsack sprayer, growth enhancers, and tomato seeds.
Others he added are – power tiller and water pumps, which would be given to farmers through commodity associations, cooperative groups, farmers with special needs, and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
The Minister stated that the initiative would be replicated across the 36 states and FCT to ensure that Nigerian farmers’ benefit from the Renewed Hope Agenda in the agricultural sector, which is geared towards achieving food sovereignty and economic growth.
Abdullahi who described Niger as a model and pilot state for the implementation of federal government agricultural initiatives, applauded
the giant strides made by Governor Bago in the sector.
In his remarks, the Farmer Governor of Niger State, Muhammad Umaru Bago appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his laudable initiative in the agricultural sector stressing that the all-year-round farming scheme would significantly motivate farmers and enable them to be self-sufficient, thus supporting its food security and sovereignty goals.
Bago lauded the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security for choosing Niger as the pilot state for the all-year-round farming initiative and other agricultural policies of the federal government.
He listed Niger state agricultural achievements to include the exporting of $2.2 million worth of sesame seeds in 2025 through the Nigerian Women Police Cooperative in Farming and plans to set up sesame processing centers.
The Governor added that the state is putting up modalities to revive its Cooperative Bank with N2 billion to serve as a Microfinance bank for agriculture so as to ease the burden of interest rates on farmers.
