‎CSO Faults ₦2bn Bush Clearing Project, Says Farmers Still Struggling Without Support ‎

A civil society organisation, MonITNG, has criticised the ₦2 billion allocation in the 2025 Federal Budget for a bush clearing initiative under the Presidency, warning that such projects offer little benefit to struggling farmers in rural areas.

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‎The initiative, captured under the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) with the project code ERGP1224383, has been described as “suspicious and vague” by the group, which noted that no specific location was listed for its execution.

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‎In a statement shared on X, MonITNG argued that poorly defined allocations such as this deny farmers meaningful support while creating loopholes for corruption.

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‎“Farmers in remote communities are still trapped in poverty, depending on crude tools and outdated practices, yet ₦2 billion is being earmarked for a project with no details on where it will be carried out or who will benefit,” the group said.

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‎According to MonITNG, the funds could have been channeled into providing tractors, irrigation systems, storage facilities, or rural access roads, interventions that directly improve agricultural productivity and reduce losses.

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‎It added that the lack of transparency in the project highlights a recurring problem of “padded budgets” in Nigeria’s public finance system, where vague allocations end up draining resources without addressing real needs.

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‎“Land and bush clearing may be important, but when communities cannot trace which farmlands are targeted, how many hectares are covered, or what farmers are involved, the money risks disappearing without value.

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‎Meanwhile, those who should benefit continue to farm under hardship,” the group stressed.

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‎The CSO further urged the National Assembly, alongside anti-graft agencies such as the EFCC and ICPC, to probe the allocation and ensure that public funds deliver concrete benefits to farmers.

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<span;>‎“Public funds must translate to real agricultural value, not vanish under projects that cannot be monitored,” it added.