Federal Gov’t Distributes 1.9m Fertilizer Bags To Farmers In 2 Years – Minister

The federal government said it has distributed more than 1.9 million bags of fertilizer to nearly one million farmers across the country in the last two years as part of efforts to boost agricultural productivity and strengthen national food security.

Minister of agriculture and food security, Abubakar Kyari, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja at the 2026 ministerial stakeholders’ engagement retreat.

Kyari said the distribution formed part of interventions aimed at improving soil fertility, supporting farmers with essential inputs and reducing the high cost of food production.

He noted that the government also supplied 12,000 litres of organic fertilizers, trained fertilizer inspectors, and strengthened regulatory systems to eliminate substandard inputs from the market.

According to the minister, the federal government has also built a national reference laboratory and upgraded the national fertilizer management platform to improve quality control and transparency in fertilizer distribution nationwide.

He added that the National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP), one of the government’s flagship initiatives, has registered over 647,500 farmers across the country, while 622,818 farmers have already benefited from subsidised agricultural inputs through the programme.

Kyari said the interventions had contributed to improved crop production and strengthened key agricultural value chains including rice, maize, wheat, cassava, cocoa, soybeans and oil palm.

He said the government had further expanded agricultural infrastructure, including the construction of rural roads, installation of solar-powered boreholes, and establishment of agro-processing plants and milling facilities across the country.

He said, “Our government has made food security a top priority because it is fundamental to national stability and sovereignty. Our focus is on boosting local production and reducing reliance on imports so that affordable and nutritious food becomes accessible to all Nigerians.

In the last two years, we have distributed over 1.9 million bags of fertilizers to nearly one million farmers while also strengthening fertilizer regulation, training inspectors and building systems that guarantee quality and transparency in the supply chain”.

“The National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro-Pocket has also registered more than 647,000 farmers nationwide, with 622,818 already benefiting from subsidized agricultural inputs. This programme is helping farmers increase productivity and improve their livelihoods.

We will continue to work with stakeholders, development partners and the private sector to deepen agricultural transformation, strengthen food systems and ensure that Nigeria achieves sustainable food security for the benefit of all citizens.”

The minister said Nigeria was also expanding partnerships with countries including Russia, Türkiye, India and Canada to improve fertilizer production and facilitate technology transfer.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, permanent secretary in the ministry, Marcus Ogunbiyi, described the engagement as a critical platform for collaboration between government and stakeholders in strengthening Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

Ogunbiyi said agriculture and food security remain a collective national responsibility that requires cooperation among farmers, the private sector, civil society and development partners to achieve sustainable results.

He noted that the meeting was designed to promote dialogue, improve programme delivery and ensure that policies and interventions in the agricultural sector are informed by practical experiences from stakeholders.