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Senator Abubakar Kyari

FG Launches New Price Guarantee Scheme For 2m Farmers

The federal government on Friday launched a new Guaranteed Minimum Price (GMP) model for two million smallholder farmers while flagging off the distribution of 10 million bags of fertiliser under the Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund (RH-SVCF).

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari said the move is aimed at improving productivity, strengthening value chains and protecting farmers from exploitative market prices.

The minister announced the initiative at the flag-off in Zaria, Kaduna State, saying the programme represents a major shift from previous intervention models by providing farmers with support from planting through to harvest and market access.

According to the minister, in a statement by the ministery’s head of Information Department, Ezeaja Ikemefuna, every beneficiary farmer will be linked to a farmer aggregation company, with Arzikin Noma leading the implementation in Zaria.

The statement noted that the companies will provide certified seeds, fertiliser, extension services and guaranteed off-take of produce at government-approved minimum prices designed to shield farmers from distress sales.

Kyari said the initiative goes beyond the distribution of agricultural inputs by creating an institutional framework that supports farmers throughout the production cycle.

“The biggest shift is not the volume of inputs, but the structure of delivery. From now on, there is an institution beside you when you plant, and an institution beside you when you sell. For generations, farmers carried every risk alone. They borrowed to plant. They prayed for rain. And at harvest, they met a buyer who knew they were desperate. What changes today.

Fertilizer in August is a different commodity from fertilizer in July… The farmer’s success and the company’s success become the same thing… what our farmers grow will become food and feed here at home…

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security stands squarely behind the farmer. We will not abandon you at planting. We will not abandon you at harvest. A nation that cannot feed itself holds its independence on loan… farm well this season, and hold us to our word,” the minister said.

Kyari noted that one-third of the programme’s beneficiaries are women, adding that timely delivery of fertiliser during the planting season is essential to achieving higher yields.

He explained that the guaranteed pricing mechanism aligned the interests of farmers and aggregators by ensuring both parties benefit from increased productivity, while investments in local processing will boost food production, livestock feed and national food security.

Kyari commended the Bank of Agriculture and Arzikin Noma for ensuring prompt delivery of inputs ahead of the peak planting period, noting that the private sector partner has expanded its farmer network from fewer than 3,000 to more than 400,000 farmers, with a target of reaching one million by 2030.

In his remarks, Group Managing Director of Arzikin Noma Africa, High Chief Adeoluwa Michael Adeshola, said the company was established to provide lasting solutions to challenges confronting Nigerian farmers, stressing that sustainable agricultural transformation requires collaboration among government, financial institutions, development partners, traditional institutions and the private sector.

Also speaking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Agriculture, Mr. Ayodeji Oludare Sotinrin, said the bank is building an integrated agricultural ecosystem that combines quality inputs, affordable financing, mechanisation, aggregation systems, structured markets and value chain partnerships to improve farmers’ incomes.

Sotinrin disclosed that the programme is expected to reach two million smallholder farmers nationwide with over 10 million bags of fertiliser.

He added that nearly 300,000 farmers have already been onboarded, while more than 1.1 million bags of fertiliser and 16,470 metric tonnes of improved seeds are being deployed through 20 Farmer Aggregation Companies operating across more than 20 states, supported by 15 accredited input suppliers.

Senator Abubakar Kyari-1170x658

FG Flags-off Distribution Of 10m Bags Of Fertilizer

The Federal Government has flagged-off the distribution of more than 10 million bags of fer­tilizer and announced a Guar­anteed Price Model for 2 million smallholder farmers nationwide.

Senator Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security announced this on Fri­day at the flag-off of fertilizer dis­tribution in Zaria, Kaduna State.

He explained that the inputs are being delivered under the Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund (RH-SVCF)

The Minister stated that the biggest shift is not the volume of inputs, but the structure of delivery.

“From now on, there is an in­stitution beside you when you plant, and an institution beside you when you sell,” Kyari told farmers gathered for the flag-off.

“For generations, farmers carried every risk alone. They borrowed to plant. They prayed for rain. And at harvest, they met a buyer who knew they were des­perate. What changes today?”

Kyari, who noted that one third of the beneficiaries are women, highlighted that under the new design, every farmer will be linked to a Farmer Ag­gregation Company, with Arzikin Noma, a Farmer Aggregation Company, leading the flag-off in Zaria.

He stressed that timing is critical. “Fertilizer in August is a different commodity from fer­tilizer in July.”

He said inputs were delivered in mid-July, right as the rains set in, to ensure that farmers do not plant late.

According to him, “beyond delivery, the aggregator will stay with the farmer through the en­tire cycle.

“This means providing certi­fied seed, fertilizer, and extension support from land preparation to harvest.

At the end of the season, the same aggregator becomes the pathway to market, buying at a Guaranteed Minimum Price ap­proved by the government.

“That price, the Minister said, is a floor “below which the farm­er’s sweat cannot be bought.”

He explained that the model aligns with the interest of the farmer and the company.

“The farmer’s success and the company’s success become the same thing.”

He added that with Arzikin Noma’s investment in local pro­cessing, “what our farmers grow will become food and feed here at home,” deepening the value chain and food security.

Kyari also tied the new pro­gramme to the history of the host city.

Honourable Minister of Agric

FG Convenes Validation Meeting To Align National, State Budgets With Agrifood Strategy

The Federal Government has convened a national validation meeting to align national and state budgets with Nigeria’s National Agri-food System Strategy and Action Plan to implement the CAADP Kampala Declaration (2026–2035), aimed at strengthening food systems, enhancing food sovereignty, and revolutionizing the agricultural ecosystem

Speaking at the National Validation Meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of  Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, called on all Ministries, Departments and Agencies(MDAs) and State  Governments to align their annual budgets with the new blueprint to ensure effective domestication of the CAADP Kampala Declaration and end fragmentation in agricultural spending.

Kyari explained that the Strategy was developed to build on the gains of the Maputo 2003 and Malabo 2014 Declarations, while adopting a more holistic, agri-food systems-based approach.

He stated that “This validation meeting is essential, as it is where the zero draft becomes stronger, more representative, and more actionable, we must ensure that every budget line, every programme, and every intervention across government is aligned with the priorities of this Strategy.”

He noted that the document reflects inputs gathered from extensive consultations from all six geopolitical zones and a national workshop, making it responsive to Nigeria’s diversity.

He added that “We wanted a plan that reflects the diversity of Nigeria’s agricultural landscape, from the livestock corridors of the North to the aquaculture belts of the South, from the cassava and yam zones of the East to the cocoa and oil palm plantations of the West,”.

According to the Minister, the Strategy provides a harmonized implementation framework with clear roles, responsibilities, timelines, and accountability mechanisms.

“It also integrates CAADP Biennial Review indicators into national planning, budgeting, and reporting systems.

Kyari highlighted that the Strategy directly addresses key implementation challenges facing Nigeria’s agri-food systems, including climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, post-harvest loss reduction, and market volatility.

He pointed out ‘’these issues have undermined productivity in the past and must be tackled alongside production targets.

The Minister further said the blueprint prioritizes blended financing from public, private and donor sources, as well as risk-management instruments like agricultural insurance and affordable credit to support farmers.

He emphasized that the plan specifically targets smallholder farmers, youth, women, and marginalized groups.

“The Kampala Declaration is not just a continental commitment. It is a roadmap for transforming Nigeria’s agri-food system into one that is resilient, inclusive, productive, and industrialized,” Kyari stated.

He urged all stakeholders to champion the harmonization and operationalization of the plan into their respective annual budget preparation processes, stressing that the Strategy must not become “another document on the shelf.”

Kyari revealed that ‘’A unified Strategy and Action Plan aligned with CAADP will reduce duplication, strengthen policy coherence, harmonize indicators and targets, and provide a single framework to attract and align investments across the public and private sectors’’.

In his welcome remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, commended the Agricultural Sector Working Group and Technical Committee for driving the nationwide consultations that produced the zero draft.

According to him, the Strategy aligns Nigeria’s priorities with Agenda 2063, the Sustainable Development Goals and the CAADP Kampala Declaration, and builds on ongoing government efforts in mechanization, irrigation, value chain development, digitalization of agricultural services and private sector investment.

Dr. Ogunbiyi stated that the validation aims to critically examine proposed interventions, identify gaps and strengthen implementation frameworks, noting that the Strategy must promote policy coherence, reduce duplication, strengthen accountability and create stronger links among all actors in the agri-food system.

He added that the success of the Strategy will depend on effective implementation, adequate financing, robust monitoring and evaluation, strong institutional coordination and sustained political will.

“Our vision is to build an agri-food system that is productive, competitive, climate-smart, nutrition-sensitive, digitally enabled, market-oriented and attractive to our young people.

“Our objective is to ensure that no Nigerian goes hungry and that agriculture remains profitable for our farmers and agribusinesses,” he said.

In his remarks, Commissioner for Agriculture in Osun State, Mr Tola Fasseru, assured that the State Governments would work assiduously towards implementing the Kampala Declaration which is in line with the  Agricultural transformation agenda of the present government.

He stressed the need to involve women and youth in agri-food systems to enhance food production and generate more revenue.

Agriculture& Forestry

The validation meeting had in attendance representatives of state governments, development partners, the private sector, civil society organizations, and farmer groups.