Some agricultural items have been distributed for free to smallholder farmers by the federal government to achieve an all-year round farming and boost food security.
The agricultural inputs given to the farmers included herbicides, cocoa fertilizer, fungicide, knapsack sprayer, growth enhancers, and tomato seeds.
A statement issued on Friday by the Head of Department of Information of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ezeaja Ikemefuna, stated that these items were shared to farmers in Niger State by the Minister, Mr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi.
The Minister said the free distribution of farm inputs to smallholder farmers was one of the many robust policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration aimed at supporting year-round farming in Nigeria to build resilient and sustainable agricultural ecosystems that would ensure food sovereignty.
He stated that the initiative aligns with numerous economic reforms aimed at boosting productive capacity in the country, creating jobs, and lowering the cost of living while also ensuring inclusivity, adding that the ministry is implementing many agricultural programmes and projects designed to support year-round farming.
“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,” Mr Abdullahi said.
He mentioned that the inputs being distributed include herbicides, cocoa fertilizer, fungicide, knapsack sprayer, growth enhancers, and tomato seeds.
Others were 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).
He added that this initiative would take place across the 36 states and FCT to ensure Nigeria farmers benefit from the renewed hope agenda in the agricultural sector, which is geared towards achieving food sovereignty and economic growth.
The Minister appreciated the giant strides made by Governor Bago in agriculture, which he said has made Niger State a model and pilot state for the implementation of federal government agricultural initiatives.
In his remarks, the Governor of Niger State, Mr Muhammad Umaru Bago, thanked Mr Tinubu for his support in advancing agriculture, stating that the all-year-round farming initiative will significantly motivate farmers and enable them to be self-sufficient, thus supporting its food security and sovereignty goals.
Mr Bago lauded the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security for choosing Niger State as a 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 further revealed that the state would revive the Cooperative Bank of Niger state with N2 billion, adding that it will be a microfinance bank for agriculture to ease the burden of interest rates on farmers.