BOA Launches Wet Season Input Disbursement in Katsina, Targeting 10,000 Hectares Through 1,000+ Farmer Cooperatives

Folalumi Alaran in Abuja

The Bank of Agriculture (BOA), in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), today flagged off the 2026 Wet Season Input Disbursement under the Smallholder Farmer Input Support Programme in Katsina State, continuing the input distribution to smallholder farmers for the 2026 wet season.

The programme underscores BOA’s renewed commitment to modernising Nigeria’s agricultural delivery architecture and expanding smallholder farmers’ access to affordable agricultural inputs. Under the intervention, the Bank aims to support cultivation across approximately 10,000 hectares through a coordinated network of more than 1,000 farmer cooperatives, supported by Farmer Aggregation Companies (FACs), across Katsina. Participating farmers will each receive four bags of NPK fertilizer and two bags of Urea, while approximately 150 farmers attended the Katsina flag-off as representative beneficiaries ahead of nationwide disbursement.

The intervention is being delivered through BOA’s strengthened agricultural delivery architecture in collaboration with the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), the umbrella body for the Farmer Aggregation Companies (FACs). Working closely with FACs, BOA is leveraging grassroots farmer data and field intelligence to guide the deployment of input loans, ensuring interventions are tailored to the needs of genuine producers.

This coordinated approach is underpinned by the Bank’s enhanced verification framework—including farmer profiling, BVN and Know Your Customer (KYC) verification, GPS farm mapping, and field-level validation—which strengthens transparency, improves targeting, and ensures subsidised agricultural inputs reach actively cultivating farmers. Together, these measures reinforce BOA’s commitment to building a more accountable, data-driven agricultural finance ecosystem that delivers measurable impact at the farm level.

Speaking on behalf of the Governor of Katsina State, His Excellency Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, the Commissioner for Rural and Social Development, Prof. Abdulhamid Ahmed Mani, said:

“Agriculture remains the backbone of Katsina State’s economy and the livelihood of thousands of our people. This intervention reflects the power of collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Bank of Agriculture, and organised farmer groups to ensure critical inputs reach farmers when they need them most. By supporting cultivation across 10,000 hectares through a coordinated network of Farmer Aggregation Companies and farmer cooperatives, we are laying the foundation for improved productivity, stronger rural livelihoods, and greater food security for our state and the nation.”

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Agriculture, Mr. Ayo Sotinrin, said:

“This programme is more than the distribution of fertilizer—it demonstrates a smarter way of delivering agricultural interventions. By working closely with the National Agro Inputs Dealers/Buyers Group and Farmer Aggregation Companies, and leveraging verified farmer data and field intelligence, we are ensuring government support reaches genuine farmers quickly, transparently, and at scale. That is how we build confidence in public interventions and deliver measurable impact where it matters most—on the farm.”

Speaking on behalf of farmers in the state, the Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Katsina State Chapter, Hon. Yau Umar Gojo Gojo, welcomed the intervention, saying:

“For our farmers, timely access to fertilizer is essential to a successful planting season. This support will enable more farmers to cultivate their land with confidence, improve yields, and strengthen household incomes. We commend the Bank of Agriculture and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security for working with organised farmer structures to ensure these inputs reach genuine producers at the right time.”

Disbursement to participating Farmer Aggregation Companies and their farmer cooperative networks has commenced and will continue across beneficiary communities in line with the wet season planting calendar, ensuring farmers receive critical inputs during the peak planting period.