FG Distributes Fertilisers, Farm Inputs To 5,600 Gombe Farmers

No fewer than 5,642 smallholder farmers in Gombe State have begun receiving fertilisers and other agricultural inputs under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund (RH-SVCF).

The intervention which was flagged off in Gombe on Tuesday, is part of a move to boost food production and improving livelihoods ahead of the 2026 wet farming season.

It is being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in partnership with the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and Algir Integrated Services Limited as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen agricultural productivity and enhance food security across the country.

Speaking at the event, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Agriculture, Mr. Ayo Sotinrin, represented by Hajiya Rabi Kabir, described the programme as a comprehensive support package designed to ensure Nigerian farmers no longer shoulder the burden of agricultural production alone.

He said the initiative goes beyond the distribution of fertilisers and certified seeds by providing farmers with access to financing, extension services, aggregation and guaranteed markets for their produce.

“Every farming season begins with an act of faith. For too long, the Nigerian farmer has carried that faith alone. Today’s gathering is the answer to that solitude… this time, you do not plant alone,” he said.

According to Sotinrin, the Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund targets two million smallholder farmers nationwide, with nearly 200,000 farmers already financed under the scheme.

He disclosed that more than 1.1 million bags of fertiliser had already been deployed across Nigeria from a target of over 10 million bags, alongside 16,470 metric tonnes of certified seeds, while implementation is being coordinated through 20 Farmer Aggregation Companies operating across more than 20 states in collaboration with 15 input suppliers.

Sotinrin urged beneficiaries to treat the farm inputs as productive investments rather than free gifts, explaining that the support is structured to be repaid through harvests to sustain the programme for future farming seasons.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Algir Integrated Services Limited, Garba Lawan, said the company’s appointment as a Farmer Aggregation Company reflected confidence in its capacity to deliver transparent and accountable services to farmers.

He noted that the company had been approved to procure and distribute about 600,000 units of fertilisers and certified agricultural inputs under the programme.
Lawan assured beneficiaries that only quality-assured farm inputs, including Golden NPK fertiliser, Indorama and Dangote Urea, WACOT agrochemicals and Seedco improved seeds, were being distributed.

Chairman of the Maize Farmers Association, Elkanah Gurati, welcomed the collaboration between the Bank of Agriculture and Algir Integrated Services Limited, expressing optimism that the intervention would strengthen food production in Gombe State.

“This will impact food security in the state. It will go a long way in supporting farmers in the state,” Gurati said.