The Federal Government has reiterated its resolve to work closely with non-governmental organisations and the private sector as part of broader efforts to strengthen food security, drive economic growth, create jobs and reduce poverty across the country.
This assurance was given by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, during the distribution of farm inputs to farmers in Cross River State on Thursday.
The event, which took place in Calabar, formed part of ongoing interventions aimed at cushioning farmers against rising production costs.
Kyari, who was represented by the Director of Agribusiness and Market Development in the ministry, Mr Bassey Iwara, said the current administration had shown strong political will in repositioning the agricultural sector.
He explained that the reforms being implemented by President Bola Tinubu’s government were designed to stimulate productivity, expand employment opportunities and ease the burden of the high cost of living on Nigerians.
According to the minister, the Federal Government has also taken emergency and humanitarian measures to address the food crisis, while rolling out targeted programmes to support farmers nationwide.
“As a result, several projects have been introduced to tackle challenges faced by farmers and ensure that food is available, accessible and affordable for all Nigerians,” Kyari said.
He added that short-term support plans were also in place to make essential farm inputs more affordable through transparent and accountable processes.
He stressed that special attention was being given to small-scale farmers, who are most affected by the rising cost of agro-inputs and basic farm machinery. “Our priority is to facilitate access to farm inputs and equipment for smallholder farmers who need urgent support,” he noted.
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On his part, the Cross River State Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Ekori Nsan, said government interventions were positively impacting farmers regardless of their scale of operation.
He cautioned beneficiaries against misusing the distributed items, warning that strict monitoring mechanisms had been established.
“The era of collecting these items only to sell or abandon them is over. There will be follow-up, and we do not want to hear negative reports,” Nsan said.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Asuquo Asuquo expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for the support, describing the intervention as timely and encouraging for farmers in the state.