A nonprofit organisation focused on food sustainability, One Acre Fund, has announced plans to empower four million farmers across Nigeria to boost food production and promote agricultural development. The organisation said this initiative aligns with its goal to support farmers with improved access to seeds, fertilizer, and training to ensure sustainable food security.
Speaking during the Kwara Harvest Day agenda held in Share, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, the Lead, Impact Innovation of the Fund, Dr. Adefunke Adewole, said the organisation has concluded arrangements to reach more farmers nationwide. She also revealed that One Acre Fund will collaborate with Seedco to distribute about three million free seedlings to farmers across the country by the year 2030.
Dr. Adewole stated that “this year alone, we have distributed about 250,000 free seedlings to farmers in the states we cover.” The event, which was organised to celebrate farmers’ achievements for the outgoing year, also featured awards for high-performing farmers as part of efforts to encourage greater productivity in the coming year.
According to her, “Next year, we are going to scale up to 500,000 seedlings.” She added, “We are spreading also. At the moment, we are spreading to Plateau and Bauchi States. We are already in Nasarawa State. Our big vision is to cover the whole of Nigeria. We intend to serve three million farmers in the next four years, and that is what we are working towards.”
She further disclosed that “this year together we have served 75,000 farmers with our credit programme in Niger, Kwara, and Nasarawa States.” Explaining the process, she said, “Farmers enroll for our credit programme by taking a bundle. The bundle comprises maize, fertilizer, seeds, and herbicides, and it varies from quarter, half, and full hectare.”
Dr. Adewole noted that the organisation has maintained a strong partnership with Seedco, adding, “Our programme in Nigeria started in 2018. Kwara is one of the states we have expanded to. We started with the expansion last year. We are trying to see how we can support farmers so that they can improve their productivity through increment in their yields.”
She also appreciated the support of state governments where the programme operates. “We have enjoyed good working relationships with state governments. They have been supportive of our programme. We covet for more of that,” she said.
On challenges, Dr. Adewole pointed out that insecurity has affected the organisation’s expansion efforts. “The issue of banditry has been a major challenge. It prevents our programme from scaling to some places. We take security very seriously, so we always watch out to see areas where we can operate safely before we move to any area,” she added.
