By Awyetu Asabe Hope
The Bank of Agriculture (BOA) has launched the 2026 wet-season input distribution under the Smallholder Farmer Input Support Programme in Katsina State, targeting cultivation across 10,000 hectares through more than 1,000 farmer cooperatives.
The programme, launched on Friday, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, aims to improve smallholder farmers’ access to fertiliser and other essential inputs to boost food production.
BOA said each participating farmer will receive four bags of NPK fertiliser and two bags of urea, while about 150 farmers participated in the Katsina flag-off ahead of nationwide distribution.
The bank said the intervention will be implemented through Farmer Aggregation Companies using verified farmer data, Bank Verification Number and Know Your Customer checks, GPS farm mapping and field validation to ensure inputs reach genuine beneficiaries.
Representing Governor Dikko Radda at the launch, the Katsina State Commissioner for Rural and Social Development, Prof. Abdulhamid Mani, said the initiative would improve agricultural productivity, strengthen rural livelihoods and enhance food security.
BOA Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ayo Sotinrin, described the programme as a more transparent and efficient model for delivering government-backed agricultural support, while the All Farmers Association of Nigeria in Katsina welcomed the intervention, saying it would improve farmers’ productivity during the planting season.
The bank said the rollout is part of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund, which targets two million farmers nationwide through the provision of farm inputs, financing, extension services and market access.