The Federal Government has declared that the era of “briefcase farmers” benefiting from agricultural interventions is over, as it embarks on a comprehensive farmer data audit and registry to identify genuine beneficiaries across the country.
Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, made this known on Wednesday in Kaduna during the technical session of the Government-Citizen Engagement Forum organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation.
He said the President Bola Tinubu-led administration, having inherited a food crisis, rolled out bold, data-driven reforms aimed at reviving agriculture, increasing food production, and ending the culture of elite capture in farming incentives.
“We are ensuring that only genuine farmers benefit from government programmes. No more briefcase farmers,” the Minister said.
He added that the current state of emergency on food security declared by the Tinubu administration was still in full effect, with far-reaching interventions focused on boosting production, stabilising food prices, and ensuring fair distribution of resources.
“Our priority is simple: ramp up production, reduce food prices, and ensure equitable access to support. We met a food crisis and responded with data-backed, targeted actions,” he said.
Abdullahi revealed that under the Agro-Pocket initiative, over 133,000 hectares of wheat had been cultivated across 15 northern states—exceeding the initial target of 130,000 hectares.
He said Jigawa State alone accounted for more than 50,000 hectares.
He also disclosed that another plan had been activated to support 44,500 rice farmers nationwide, with an improved extension service system aimed at addressing the unacceptable extension-to-farmer ratio of 1 to 25,000.
On mechanisation, the Minister announced that 2,000 Belarusian tractors and 9,000 implements had been launched by President Tinubu to modernise farming and enhance productivity across the country.
“Our approach is strategic and modern. These interventions are not cosmetic; they are geared towards making agriculture competitive and attractive again,” Abdullahi said.
He explained that Special Agro-Processing Zones are being developed to support market access and value addition, enabling farmers to earn higher returns.
To boost resilience and productivity, he said agricultural research institutions have been empowered to release improved seed varieties, including new strains of maize, rice, cassava, and tomato resistant to the deadly “tomato ebola” disease.
In the livestock sub-sector, he said government attention has shifted to sustainable development through the creation of grazing reserves, livestock villages, and transit shelters, while a national dairy policy is in the works.
He also revealed that three key dam projects—Nwabi Yashin, Nwape, and Amla—had been completed, unlocking over 2,700 hectares of land for irrigation. Plans are underway to concession mini-hydro dams for off-grid power to energize farming communities.
“This is not just about responding to today’s needs. We are laying the foundation for future resilience—reclaiming university farmlands, training youths and women, and reforming agricultural governance structures,” he added.
Abdullahi, therefore, called on Northern stakeholders to confront those who sabotage reforms by manipulating systems and shortchanging real farmers.
“We must discredit such people. The time to act is now,” the Minister said.
