The Federal Government has declared a decisive end to the era of “briefcase farmers” benefiting from agricultural interventions, as it embarks on a nationwide audit and digitisation of farmer data to ensure only genuine farmers benefit from public support.

Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi, made the announcement on Wednesday during a technical session of the Government-Citizen Engagement Forum organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation in Kaduna.

“We are ensuring that only genuine farmers benefit from government programmes. No more briefcase farmers,” the minister said, reaffirming the government’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption and elite capture in agriculture.

Senator Abdullahi said the reforms are part of President Bola Tinubu’s strategic response to the food crisis inherited by the current administration. These reforms, he noted, are data-driven and targeted at increasing production, stabilising food prices, and ensuring equitable distribution of farming incentives.

Major Achievements Under Tinubu’s Food Security Emergency

According to the minister, the state of emergency on food security declared by President Tinubu remains in effect, with wide-reaching interventions already yielding results. Among the highlights:

• Over 133,000 hectares of wheat have been cultivated across 15 northern states under the Agro-Pocket scheme exceeding the initial 130,000-hectare target. Jigawa State alone contributed over 50,000 hectares.
• 44,500 rice farmers are set to receive support nationwide under a newly activated plan. A revamped extension service system is also being introduced to address the poor extension-to-farmer ratio of 1:25,000.
• President Tinubu has launched 2,000 Belarusian tractors and 9,000 implements to accelerate mechanisation and productivity in the sector.

“Our approach is strategic and modern. These interventions are not cosmetic; they are geared towards making agriculture competitive and attractive again,” Abdullahi added.

Boosting Market Access, Research, and Infrastructure

The federal government is also prioritising value addition and market access through the development of Special Agro-Processing Zones, while investing in agricultural research institutes to release improved crop varieties including disease-resistant maize, rice, cassava, and tomato.

In the livestock sector, efforts are focused on sustainable development through the creation of grazing reserves, livestock villages, and transit shelters, with a National Dairy Policy currently in the pipeline.

Three key dam projects Nwabi Yashin, Nwape, and Amla have been completed, unlocking over 2,700 hectares for irrigation farming. Plans are also underway to concession mini-hydro dams to provide off-grid power for farming communities.

Warning to Saboteurs, Call for Accountability

Senator Abdullahi issued a stern warning to individuals and networks sabotaging agricultural reforms by manipulating databases or diverting resources away from legitimate farmers.

“We must discredit such people. The time to act is now,” he said, urging Northern leaders and stakeholders to play a proactive role in safeguarding the integrity of the reforms.

As part of long-term resilience strategies, the minister revealed plans to reclaim university farmlands, and invest in training programmes for youth and women, alongside reforms in agricultural governance structures.

The message from the Federal Government is clear: Nigeria’s agriculture sector is being rebuilt from the ground up, and only real farmers not political proxies will drive the nation’s food security future.