BOA begins fertiliser, seeds distribution

…targets 2.6 million tonnes addition to Nigeria’s food basket

The Bank of Agriculture (BOA) has commenced the distribution of maize seeds, fertilisers and crop protection products to smallholder farmers under the Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund (RH-SVCF), as part of efforts to strengthen food security and improve rural livelihoods across the country.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank, Mr Ayo Sotinrin, said the intervention forms part of a nationwide programme targeting nearly 500,000 farmers, who will cultivate about 520,000 hectares of farmland, with an expected output of at least 2.6 million tonnes of additional food for Nigeria’s food basket.

Sotinrin, who was represented by the Divisional Head, Finance and Strategy, Mr Osho Hakeem Adekunle, disclosed this on Thursday at the flag-off of input distribution held at the Dutse Modern Stadium through Staragric Nigeria Limited in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Head, Operations Lead, Office of the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Bank of Agriculture Limited, Adam Mohammed.

He said the programme had already recorded significant progress, with close to 200,000 farmers financed, while 1.8 million bags of fertiliser and 329,000 bags of quality, high-yielding seeds were being distributed through 20 Farmer Aggregation Companies across more than 20 states.

According to him, more than one-third of the beneficiaries are women, reflecting the Federal Government’s deliberate commitment to promoting inclusive agricultural development.

Sotinrin described the initiative as a major component of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at translating government policy into practical support for farmers through funding, institutional backing and timely access to quality agricultural 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.

He added that the Bank of Agriculture was proud to serve as the vehicle through which the Federal Government’s agricultural intervention was reaching farmers across the country.

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 urged the firm to ensure transparency, diligence and accountability in the deployment of the inputs, stressing that the credibility and future expansion of the initiative would depend on efficient implementation.

“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 beneficiary farmers, Adekunle described them as the centrepiece of the intervention, noting that the success of the programme would ultimately be measured by improved harvests, higher yields, increased incomes and enhanced national food security.

He urged them to make judicious use of the inputs, follow agronomic guidance, keep accurate farm records and promptly report any challenges encountered during the farming season.

According to him, the programme is built on a partnership involving the government, the Bank of Agriculture, input aggregators and farmers, with each stakeholder expected to play its role responsibly.

He assured participants that the bank would continue to monitor implementation, assess 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.

The BOA Managing Director expressed confidence in the successful implementation of the programme and urged all stakeholders to justify the confidence reposed in them by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nigerian farmers.

He expressed optimism that the programme would result in the cultivation of 520,000 hectares by nearly 500,000 farmers, producing at least 2.6 million tonnes of food, thereby strengthening Nigeria’s food system, improving rural livelihoods and boosting economic prosperity.

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

He said the Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund brings together critical stakeholders in the agricultural value chain, including farmers, processors, financiers and investors, to improve productivity and increase yields.

According to him, the initiative is designed not only to boost agricultural production but also to reduce poverty and address insecurity by creating sustainable livelihoods through farming.

Lawal commended the Bank of Agriculture for the intervention and expressed optimism that the financial support would enhance agricultural production and improve the livelihoods of beneficiary farmers.

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Solomon Mathew lauded the President Bola Tinubu-led administration for the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention aimed at giving succour to farmers across the country.

Mathew said the support would ease the burden of procuring farm inputs, which had become increasingly expensive, enabling smallholder farmers to cultivate larger portions of their farmland and improve productivity during the current farming season.

He expressed optimism that the programme would boost food production, improve farmers’ incomes and contribute significantly to the Federal Government’s efforts to achieve food security.

He also commended the Bank of Agriculture and other implementing partners for ensuring that the intervention reached genuine farmers, while pledging that beneficiaries would make judicious use of the inputs to justify the confidence reposed in them.

Also applauding the development, Alhaji Ahmed Barau congratulated Tukunyar Gwari Seed Nigeria Limited for securing the financial support from the Bank of Agriculture, describing it as a major boost to farming businesses in Kaduna State and across the country.

He expressed confidence that the intervention would improve farmers’ productivity, increase food production and create greater economic opportunities for rural communities.