By Faridat Salifu
About 10,000 small-scale farmers in Kogi State have received farm machinery and agricultural inputs under a federal government initiative aimed at boosting local food production and supporting rural livelihoods.
The distribution, flagged off by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, at the ministry’s Lokoja office, provided beneficiaries with power tillers, knapsack sprayers, liquid fertilisers, herbicides, and water pumps valued at billions of naira.
Farmers in other states, including Abia, Anambra, Cross River, Imo, Kwara, Rivers, and Yobe, are also set to receive support through cooperative societies, commodity associations, and targeted programmes for farmers with special needs and internally displaced persons.
Kyari, represented by FMAFS Deputy Director, Abdulmalik Abdul-Ganiyu, said the initiative is designed to make essential farm inputs more affordable and accessible to smallholders, who face high market costs and limited resources.
“The goal is to empower farmers, increase food production, and address food insecurity while supporting the Sustainable Development Goals,” the minister said.
Kogi State Commissioner for Agriculture, Timothy Ojomah, described the intervention as inclusive, covering all agricultural cooperative societies, and urged farmers to begin immediate use of the inputs to maximise productivity during the dry season.
Participants, including local cooperative leaders and women farmers, welcomed the support as a practical step to strengthen the farming profession. Esther Audu, chairperson of the Nigeria Women in Agriculture Cooperative Federation Limited, said the gesture inspires confidence and demonstrates government commitment to rural empowerment.
Saliu Adobanyi, AFAN Kogi chairman, encouraged beneficiaries to take advantage of the materials to boost yields and improve livelihoods, describing the initiative as a key investment in the state’s agricultural future.
NAN
