FG provides inputs to 5,642 Gombe farmers

No fewer than 5,642 smallholder farmers in Gombe State have benefited from the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund following the flag-off of the distribution of fertilisers and other agricultural inputs for the 2026 wet farming season.

The programme, implemented by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in collaboration with the Bank of Agriculture and Algir Integrated Services Limited, is aimed at boosting food production, improving farmers’ access to quality inputs and strengthening agricultural value chains across the country.

Our correspondent reports that the Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund is one of the Federal Government’s flagship agricultural interventions under the Renewed Hope Agenda, designed to improve access to quality farm inputs, affordable financing, extension services, aggregation and structured market opportunities for smallholder farmers across Nigeria.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Agriculture, Ayo Sotinrin, who was represented at the event by Hajiya Rabi Kabir, described the initiative as a major intervention designed to ensure Nigerian farmers no longer bear the burden of agricultural production alone.

In a goodwill message delivered on his behalf, Sotinrin said the Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund was conceived to provide not only farm inputs but also financing, extension services, aggregation and guaranteed market access.

“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 him, the programme is designed to reach two million smallholder farmers nationwide, with nearly 200,000 farmers already financed.

He disclosed that more than 1.1 million bags of fertiliser had already been distributed across Nigeria, out of a target of over 10 million bags.

He added that 16,470 metric tonnes of certified seeds had also been deployed, while 20 Farmer Aggregation Companies were coordinating implementation in more than 20 states in partnership with 15 input suppliers.

Sotinrin added that the intervention extends beyond input distribution to financing, extension support and guaranteed produce offtake.

“This fund does not stop at giving inputs; it follows the farmer through the season. Financing at planting, extension support through cultivation, and at harvest, guaranteed aggregation and offtake at fair value so that the reward of hard work is never lost to a distressed market,” he said.

He urged farmers to regard the inputs as productive investments rather than free gifts.

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“Receive these inputs for what they truly are—working capital. They are financed and repaid through your harvest. Protect the programme so that it continues to benefit future farmers,” he advised.

In his address, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Algir Integrated Services Limited, Garba Lawan, described the company’s appointment as a Farmer Aggregation Company under the programme as a demonstration of confidence in its capacity to deliver transparent and accountable services.

He said the company was established to bridge the gap between government agricultural financing and grassroots farmers, noting that it had been approved to procure and distribute approximately 600,000 units of fertiliser and certified agricultural inputs under the scheme.

Lawan commended the leadership of the Bank of Agriculture for introducing reforms aimed at transforming agricultural financing in Nigeria.

He identified three flagship initiatives of the current BOA management as the Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund, the Guaranteed Minimum Intake Price Policy and the National Agricultural Mechanisation Programme.

According to him, the programmes are helping farmers access affordable credit, guaranteed markets and modern mechanisation.

He also assured beneficiaries that only certified agricultural inputs were being distributed.

“The inputs being distributed under this programme are certified, verified and of the highest quality. From Golden NPK fertiliser to Indorama and Dangote urea, WACOT agrochemicals and Seed Co improved seeds, farmers are receiving quality-assured products approved by the Bank of Agriculture,” he said.

The Algir managing director stressed that the timely delivery of the inputs before the peak planting season would significantly improve productivity during the 2026 wet season.

He described the intervention as “the difference between a good harvest and a missed season.”

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

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