The Federal Government has secured a $134 million loan facility from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to enhance seed and grain production nationwide, as part of efforts to strengthen food security. Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, disclosed this during the launch of the 2024/2025 National Dry Season Farming program in Calabar.
Kyari said the loan will support the reintroduced dry season farming initiative under the National Agricultural Growth Support Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) project. The scheme aims to ensure year-round agricultural production and improve food availability across the country.
“In response to the current food crisis, the Federal Government declared a state of emergency on food production to ensure access to affordable, nutritious food for all Nigerians,” Kyari said.
He revealed that under the 2023/2024 dry season farming, 107,429 wheat farmers and 43,997 rice farmers had already received support. For the 2024 wet season, 192,095 farmers cultivating rice, maize, sorghum, millet, soybean, and cassava across all 36 states and the FCT were also assisted.
Highlighting Cross River State’s role in leading wheat production efforts in the south, the minister noted that over 3,000 farmers in the state had been enlisted for wheat cultivation.
Under the current dry season program, 250,000 wheat farmers will be supported with subsidised inputs to cultivate 250,000 hectares, with an expected output of 750,000 metric tonnes. Another 150,000 rice farmers will also benefit in this phase, targeting an output of 450,000 metric tonnes.
Kyari also announced a $1 billion agriculture mechanisation program approved by the Economic Council, led by the Greener Hope Agric Mechanisation Consortium. Over the next ten years, the initiative will establish 1,000 agro-service centres and deploy 2,000 tractors annually, creating around 600,000 jobs for youths.
To cushion food inflation, the government has begun selling 30,000 metric tonnes of milled rice nationwide at a subsidised price of ₦40,000 per 50kg bag. This move is expected to reduce rice prices and ease pressure on other staples.
The minister added that the government had released 42,000 metric tonnes of assorted food commodities from the Strategic Food Reserve to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for distribution across the country, alongside 20 trailers of rice per state.
In response to the ginger blight outbreak, the ministry has disbursed ₦1.6 billion to support affected farmers in Kaduna and Plateau states and developed a ginger master plan to boost self-sufficiency and exports. Efforts have also been made to enrich food value through crop fortification with vitamin A and pest control initiatives, including aerial operations to combat trans-boundary infestations.
Kyari reaffirmed that the ministry’s priorities under the Renewed Hope Agenda include achieving food security, improving infrastructure and transportation, and enhancing governance for effective service delivery.
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