The Federal Government on Saturday launched the 2025–2026 National Agricultural Growth Scheme, Agro-Pocket Input Collection in Maiduguri, targeting 80,000 registered farmers and projecting an output value of about ₦160 billion. The initiative is part of ongoing efforts to boost food security, expand agricultural financing, and support smallholder farmers who produce most of Nigeria’s food. The programme also highlights the government’s continued commitment to economic development through commercial agriculture and dry-season farming.
During the flag-off, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said 3,000 hectares out of the 40,000 hectares allocated nationwide for the dry-season wheat programme have been assigned to Borno State, covering 6,000 farmers. He said the National Agricultural Growth Scheme has remained one of the government’s strongest platforms for strengthening rural livelihoods and improving access to subsidised inputs that enhance productivity and income growth.
Kyari recalled that 107,429 farmers benefited during the 2023–2024 dry-season wheat programme, achieving an output valued at ₦474.6 billion. He added that another 279,297 farmers were supported in the 2024–2025 cycle, producing wheat valued at ₦893.7 billion. He said this progress demonstrates the impact of government-led agricultural intervention and the role of technology, irrigation systems and market-driven policies in boosting national food supply.
He explained that the programme aligns with the Federal Government’s current priority on food security, following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency on food security in July 2023. According to him, the wheat component of the scheme now covers 16 states, including Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Cross River and Zamfara. He said hosting the new national flag-off in Maiduguri holds special significance and reflects confidence in the resilience and capacity of farmers across Borno State.
“Under the 2023–2024 dry-season wheat production programme, a total of 107,429 registered farmers received subsidised inputs, resulting in an output valued at ₦474,628,000,000. During the 2024–2025 dry-season programme, 279,297 registered farmers were supported, with an output valued at ₦893,750,400,000,” he said. “This progress is being recorded at a time when Nigeria has elevated food security to the highest level of national priority. In July 2023, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, declared a state of emergency on food security.”
Also speaking, Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, praised President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and described agriculture as the backbone of livelihoods in the state. He said farmers in Biu, Baga, Gwoza, Damasak, Ngala and Monguno have benefited from improved irrigation systems, water pumps, certified seeds, chemicals and extension services.
Zulum said mechanisation has become more accessible through partnerships that allow smallholder farmers to use equipment at subsidised rates, with many producing enough food last year to sustain their households for up to two years. He added that the Presidential Agricultural Insurance Scheme has helped farmers recover from climate-related losses, especially the severe floods recorded in 2024.
He noted that additional support from the World Food Programme and humanitarian partners, including improved seeds, fertiliser and cooperative structures for women and young people across ten conflict-affected local government areas, is strengthening food production and contributing to wider recovery efforts in Borno State.
