Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Monday, October 19, 2026, launched the distribution of inputs, productive assets and processing equipment to 49,337 additional beneficiaries under FADAMA CARES 2.0, Premium Times reported. The flag-off took place in Ilorin.
FADAMA CARES 2.0 is the agricultural component of the World Bank-supported Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme, funded through World Bank additional financing, ThisDay reported.
Beneficiaries Reach 235,567
Earlier phases of the programme reached 186,230 people. Of these, 54,332 received inputs and services, and 131,898 received productive and processing assets across 10 agricultural value chains, according to Premium Times. With the new round, the total rises to 235,567.
The latest phase covers inputs for rice, maize and soybean production, along with knapsack sprayers, water pumps, power tillers, grinding machines, rice mills, cassava processing equipment, fish smoking kilns and commercial boats.
Tractors and Federal Fertiliser
The state has also deployed 48 tractors and two bulldozers across its 16 local government areas to expand mechanised farming. In addition, 2,016 Kwara farmers received 8,064 bags of NPK fertiliser, four bags each, under the federal government's Renewed Hope Farm Input Support Programme, ThisDay reported.
Governor: Inputs Are Capital, Not Gifts
AbdulRazaq said farmers in the state face expensive inputs, unpredictable weather, inadequate equipment and difficulty moving and processing produce. "Our duty is to remove these barriers and obstacles so that their labour pays," he said, according to Premium Times. He urged beneficiaries to treat the inputs and equipment as capital rather than handouts. "Our goal is to help farmers produce more, lose less," he said, ThisDay reported, adding that the programme also aims to improve processing and widen market access.
Commissioner for Finance Dr Hauwa Nuru, who chairs the State NG-CARES Steering Committee, said Kwara is among the leading states in programme delivery and reimbursement, ThisDay reported. State project coordinator Dr Busari Toyin Isiaka, Federated FADAMA Community Association state chairman Alhaji Isiaka Yakub Falala and Commissioner for Livestock Olohuntoyosi Thomas, who supervises the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, also attended.
Why It Matters
Rice and maize are central to the national staple basket, and input costs remain a constraint on output. Fertiliser that sold for ₦20,000 to ₦30,000 per 50kg bag in 2025 and early 2026 now sells for ₦45,000 to ₦50,000 in parts of the Federal Capital Territory, The Sun reported on October 20, 2026.
FoodPrices Nigeria tracks rice and maize prices across Lagos markets. Output gains in producing states such as Kwara feed into the national supply that sets what Lagos shoppers pay.
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