The Federal Government has flagged off one of its most extensive direct interventions for smallholder farmers, distributing 515,720 bags of urea and NPK fertiliser to 128,930 farmers across 25 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Vice President Kashim Shettima, represented by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, launched the scheme in Abuja under the National Agricultural Development Fund's Renewed Hope Farm Input Support Programme, according to Daily Trust.
Who Gets What
Each beneficiary receives four fully subsidised bags, with the programme targeting farmers cultivating less than half a hectare, who form the backbone of Nigeria's food production, according to BusinessDay. Shettima said the intervention was a major step towards boosting productivity, strengthening food security and improving farmers' livelihoods, and he called for transparent distribution that reaches women, youths and vulnerable farmers, as ThisDay reported. In the FCT alone, 11,210 bags are going to 2,930 registered farmers, according to The Guardian.
Built to Curb Diversion
The fertilisers are locally produced, traceable and clearly marked "Not for Sale" to guard against diversion, according to The Sun. The NADF Executive Secretary, Mohammed Ibrahim, said the intervention was timed for a critical stage of the farming season to reduce production costs, raise yields and strengthen national supply, framing food security as a national priority rather than a side issue, according to Daily Trust. Beneficiaries were identified through state governments and the All Farmers Association of Nigeria to keep the process targeted, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
A Zone-by-Zone Rollout
After the national launch, the programme was rolled out across the six geopolitical zones. In the North Central, 80,640 bags went to 20,160 farmers in Niger, Benue, Nasarawa and Kwara, with the South-West phase launched in Ado-Ekiti covering another 20,160 farmers, according to Tribune Online. In Lagos, 20,160 bags are reaching 5,040 farmers, and the state's Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, said the support was expected to raise production and help lower food prices, as the same report noted. The federal fertiliser drive matters at a moment when the National Bureau of Statistics put food inflation at 17.52 per cent year-on-year in June 2026, according to Leadership.
Cheaper inputs at planting can translate into steadier supply at harvest, which is where price relief begins. FoodPrices Nigeria tracks verified retail prices across Lagos markets and will watch whether this season's support shows up in what households pay.