By Faridat Salifu
The Bank of Agriculture (BOA) has introduced a strengthened verification system incorporating Bank Verification Number (BVN), Know Your Customer (KYC) checks and GPS farm mapping to improve transparency in the distribution of agricultural inputs to smallholder farmers.
The initiative is being implemented under the 2026 Wet Season Input Disbursement of the Smallholder Farmer Input Support Programme, launched in Katsina State in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS).
In a statement issued by the Strategic Officer to the Managing Director of the Bank, Raherena Adeleke, BOA said the enhanced verification framework is designed to ensure that government-backed input loans reach genuine farmers while improving accountability in agricultural interventions.
According to the statement, the framework combines farmer profiling, BVN and KYC verification, GPS farm mapping and field-level validation to strengthen transparency throughout the input distribution process.
The bank said the programme will support cultivation across about 10,000 hectares through more than 1,000 farmer cooperatives working with Farmer Aggregation Companies (FACs) across Katsina State.
Each participating farmer will receive four bags of NPK fertiliser and two bags of urea, while about 150 farmers attended the flag-off ceremony as representative beneficiaries ahead of the nationwide rollout.
BOA explained that the intervention is being implemented through its strengthened agricultural delivery architecture in collaboration with the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), the umbrella body for the Farmer Aggregation Companies.
The bank said working with the aggregation companies allows it to leverage verified farmer data and field intelligence to improve targeting and ensure support reaches eligible producers.
Representing Katsina State Governor Dikko Umaru Radda at the event, the Commissioner for Rural and Social Development, Prof. Abdulhamid Ahmed Mani, described agriculture as the backbone of the state’s economy.
He said the intervention would improve productivity, strengthen rural livelihoods and enhance food security by supporting cultivation across 10,000 hectares.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of BOA, Ayo Sotinrin, said the initiative reflects a smarter approach to agricultural intervention delivery.
“By working closely with the National Agro Inputs Dealers/Buyers Group and Farmer Aggregation Companies, and leveraging verified farmer data and field intelligence, we are ensuring government support reaches genuine farmers quickly, transparently and at scale,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of beneficiaries, Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Katsina State Chapter, Yau Umar Gojo Gojo, welcomed the programme, saying timely access to fertiliser would improve farm productivity and household incomes.
The bank said disbursement to participating Farmer Aggregation Companies and their affiliated cooperatives has commenced and will continue across beneficiary communities in line with the 2026 wet season planting calendar.
