CurrentReport blog In a bid to strengthen food security, Nigeria’s federal government has obtained a $134 million loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to support seed and grain production for farmers nationwide. Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, announced the loan facility during the launch of the 2024/2025 National Dry Season farming and the inauguration of a wheat cultivation project, held at the Cross River Basin Development Authority in Calabar on Wednesday.
The initiative, under the National Agricultural Growth Support Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), aims to increase food production year-round, with a specific focus on boosting staple crops like wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, soybean, and cassava. With the introduction of this dry season farming initiative, the loan will be essential in expanding agricultural productivity and ensuring affordable, nutritious food across Nigeria.
The Minister highlighted the government’s commitment to tackling food shortages by declaring a food production emergency, emphasizing that increased domestic output is key to economic revival. The program has already supported 107,429 wheat farmers under the 2023/2024 dry season phase and plans to extend support to 250,000 wheat farmers in the current phase to cultivate 250,000 hectares of land, aiming for an output of 750,000 metric tons of wheat. Additionally, 150,000 rice farmers will receive support to yield an estimated 450,000 metric tons of rice.
Cross River State is at the forefront of this initiative, with over 3,000 local farmers set to receive assistance for wheat production. Governor Bassey Otu, represented by Deputy Governor Peter Odey, confirmed the state’s commitment to advancing agricultural efforts, especially as it has been named one of the leading states in wheat production. Otu stated that the initiative aligns with the state’s agricultural policy focused on enhancing food availability.
The program’s phased approach will involve providing farmers with high-quality seeds, subsidized inputs, and irrigation support.
