Niger, Farmers Disagree over Distribution of Farm Inputs

Laleye Dipo in Minna

An official of the Niger State Government and some farmers have openly disagreed over the distribution of farm inputs to farmers during cropping season.

While some of the farmers claimed they have not been enjoying any free distribution of farm inputs from the government, the official debunked the claim, saying the government, especially under the present administration has been religious in sharing farm inputs especially fertilizers and high breed seeds to farmers throughout the state.

The argument came up at the distribution of farm inputs to 65,000 farmers in Maikunkele, headquarters of Bosso Local Government Area.

A spokesman of the farmers, Danladi Kpotun, while praising One Acre fund, the non-governmental organisation that shared the farm inputs, said the gesture of the organisation over the years  had assisted them to boost their farming activities.

Danladi Kpotun argued that they (farmers) had not benefited from such gesture from the government

However, the Director of Agricultural Services in the state Ministry of Agriculture, Alhaji Adamu Garba Maikasua, was quick to dismiss the farmers claim, insisting that that the government has never failed to provide fertilizers and other inputs to farmers in the state.

“I know that last year we flagged off the distribution of fertilizers at the farm centre in Minna and many farmers benefitted. Although the products may not have been enough to go round, it is not true that fertilizers were not available to farmers. The government is already making arrangements to provide fertilizers this farming season,” he declared.

The system leader of OneAcreFund, Mr. Ade Adebayo, was not drawn into the arguments but explained that over 94000 farmers from the three states of Niger, Kwara, and Nasarawa are benefiting from the organisations gesture  this year with  65,000  of them from Niger State.

Adebayo declared that the total input to be distributed free of charge to farmers in the 2025 season is12.5 million metric tons, including fertilizers (NPK & Urea) and maize seedlings.”