The National Farmers Coalition and Grassroots Agricultural Groups have commended the disbursement of N19.5 billion to 50,000 farmers across Nigeria by the National Agricultural Development Fund.

The coalition disclosed this in a statement on Monday, applauding the initiative under NADF’s Strategic Grant Programme, which it said empowered smallholder farmers nationwide.

Abubakar Bamai, president of the coalition, said the fund has also provided subsidised inputs, crop insurance, and training through its AgGrow Support Programme.

He commended the NADF executive secretary, Mohammed Ibrahim, for his transformative leadership in agricultural finance and governance.

Mr Bamai, however, appealed for the expansion of the fund’s reach to accommodate more farmers across the country.

“NADF has established innovative partnerships and signed MoUs with stakeholders like the Nigeria Cassava Investment Accelerator, NOVA Bank, and Flour Mills of Nigeria to scale up maize and cassava production,” he said.

He added that the fund has unveiled data-driven monitoring platforms to enhance transparency, accountability, and results-based governance.

Under the mechanisation and climate resilience component, Bamai said the fund had supported access to smart farming tools, solar-powered irrigation, and weather alert systems to build climate-smart capacity among farmers.

He also noted investments in value chain development, including processing centres and rural infrastructure for crops such as rice, maize, sorghum, sesame, and cassava.

Mr Bamai noted the impact of youth and gender-focused initiatives like the Youth Agribusiness Support Scheme and the Women in Agrifinance Initiative, which he said have positioned agriculture as a viable livelihood for thousands of young Nigerians.

“We commend NADF for restoring trust between farmers and government institutions through grassroots engagement and a results-driven approach. This is a new benchmark for agricultural leadership,” he said.

The coalition also urged the federal government and the National Assembly to increase budgetary allocation to NADF and protect visionary leadership within the agricultural sector.

“We call on President Bola Tinubu to further strengthen the NADF mandate. Mr Ibrahim has proven to be a true friend of the farmer, a driver of rural prosperity, and a reformer in agricultural finance,” Mr Bamai added. 

(NAN)