The federal government has commenced the distribution of 80,640 bags of subsidised fertiliser to 20,160 smallholder farmers in the South-South geopolitical zone under the National Agricultural Development Fund’s (NADF) Farm Input Support Programme (FISP).
The programme is part of efforts to increase agricultural productivity, reduce production costs and strengthen national food security.
The zonal flag-off held in Calabar, Cross River State, marked the commencement of fertiliser distribution to beneficiaries in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Delta and Edo states.
At the event, the executive secretary of NADF, Mohammed Ibrahim, represented by the head of the Investment Department, Olalekan Alabi, described the intervention as a practical demonstration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for agriculture.
He explained that the farm input support programme was designed to ensure that subsidised fertiliser reaches verified farmers cultivating priority food crops at the appropriate time, rather than serving as a general distribution exercise.
“FISP is not a blanket intervention. It is targeted support designed to get fertiliser to the right farmers, for the right crops and at the right time. Agriculture should be measured by higher yields, improved market access and the impact it makes on people’s lives,” he said.
Ibrahim disclosed that the programme would benefit 128,930 smallholder farmers nationwide by distributing 515,720 bags of fertiliser. Under the South-South phase, each participating state will receive 20,160 bags for 5,040 registered farmers, with every beneficiary receiving four bags.
He said all fertiliser supplied under the programme was manufactured in Nigeria, fully subsidised, traceable and clearly labelled “Not for Sale” to prevent diversion. He added that each bag had been linked to a verified beneficiary through validation, duplication screening and proper documentation. At the same time, independent monitoring and evaluation partners would assess productivity at the end of the farming season.
The NADF chief also announced that the fund would deploy more than 1,800 extension advisory workers nationwide next month, with 30 officers assigned to each state.
He further revealed that the agency was finalising a harmonised fertiliser recommendations manual for Crops in Nigeria to provide farmers with scientifically backed fertiliser application guidelines.
Representing Cross River State governor Bassey Otu, the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Elvert Ayambem, commended the Federal Government and NADF for prioritising smallholder farmers, whom he described as the backbone of Nigeria’s agricultural economy.
Ayambem said the intervention aligns with the state’s People First Agenda and assured stakeholders that the distribution process would be transparent to ensure the fertiliser reached genuine beneficiaries.
He also highlighted the state’s investments in mechanisation, quality farm inputs, extension services and strategic agricultural value chains, urging beneficiaries to make judicious use of the fertiliser to improve yields and increase their incomes.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the minister of agriculture and food security, Abubakar Kyari, the ministry’s state coordinator, Sampson Maddy George, said the intervention reflects the federal government’s commitment to closing Nigeria’s agricultural productivity gap and advancing food security.
“One programme delivers three gains: support for the farmer, increased demand for local fertiliser producers and improved food security for the nation,” he said.
Earlier, the Cross River State commissioner for agriculture and irrigation development, Johnson Andiambey Ebokpo, said the programme complements the state’s ongoing agricultural initiatives, including the distribution of subsidised mini tractors, improved seedlings, quality seeds and farmer capacity-building programmes.