The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has flagged off the distribution of fertilisers to farmers in Abuja at a 50 per cent subsidised rate, in a move aimed at boosting agricultural production and ensuring food security.
The launch, which took place on Thursday at the Arts and Culture Exhibition Pavilion in Garki, Abuja, saw the minister represented by his Chief of Staff, Chidi Amadi announce the distribution of 550 metric tonnes of assorted fertilisers. These include NPK, granular urea, NPK gel and urea gel, to be shared across the six area councils of the FCT.
Wike explained that the intervention is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, designed to revitalise agriculture, reduce production costs for farmers and strengthen food sufficiency in the nation’s capital. He stressed that strict monitoring mechanisms have been put in place to ensure transparency and to prevent the subsidised products from being diverted to markets.
“Farmers must make good use of these inputs. This is not for resale, but to increase yields, sustain livelihoods and contribute to food security,” he cautioned.
Beyond fertilisers, the FCT Administration is also distributing 3,500 knapsack sprayers to verified farmers and partnering with international and local institutions including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), World Bank through ACReSAL, Islamic Development Bank (SAP Z), and the FCT CARES project to provide training, support modern agronomic practices and assist in land reclamation.
The intervention comes at the peak of the farming season, a timing the minister described as “strategic” to maximize impact.
Stakeholders hailed the initiative as a timely boost to smallholder farmers, noting that access to affordable farm inputs will strengthen Abuja’s agricultural base, reduce dependence on imports and contribute to national food stability.