The Bank of Agriculture (BOA) has rolled out the nationwide distribution of fertilisers, improved maize seeds and crop protection products to approximately 500,000 smallholder farmers under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund.

The initiative, which will be implemented in more than 20 states, is expected to support the cultivation of about 520,000 hectares of farmland and increase Nigeria’s food production by an estimated 2.6 million tonnes.

The programme was officially launched in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, where the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Agriculture, Ayo Sotinrin, said the intervention forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen national food security and improve the livelihoods of rural farmers.

Sotinrin, who was represented by the bank’s Divisional Head of Finance and Strategy, Osho Adekunle, made the disclosure during the flag-off ceremony. His remarks were contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the Head of Operations Lead in the Office of the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Adam Mohammed.

According to him, the intervention is designed to reach nearly half a million farmers nationwide and significantly expand agricultural production.

“The intervention formed part of a nationwide programme targeting nearly 500,000 farmers, who will cultivate about 520,000 hectares of farmland, with an expected output of at least 2.6 million tonnes of additional food for Nigeria’s food basket,” he said.

Sotinrin disclosed that implementation of the programme was already underway, with nearly 200,000 farmers having received financing.

He added that 1.8 million bags of fertiliser and 329,000 bags of improved, high-yield maize seeds were being distributed through 20 Farmer Aggregation Companies operating across more than 20 states.

The BOA chief noted that women account for more than one-third of the programme’s beneficiaries, describing the initiative as a demonstration of the Federal Government’s commitment to promoting inclusive agricultural growth under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“This initiative is a concrete expression of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President, a policy that moves beyond promises to deliver structure, funding and institutional support for agriculture.

“It tells every Nigerian farmer that they are not alone, as the government and its institutions stand with them from the soil to the market,” he said.

He reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to serving as the primary channel for delivering the Federal Government’s agricultural interventions directly to farmers across the country.

Sotinrin also advised beneficiaries to make effective use of the farm inputs, follow recommended farming practices, keep proper farm records and promptly report any challenges encountered during the farming season.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Solomon Mathew applauded the Federal Government for the intervention, describing it as timely given the rising cost of agricultural inputs.

He expressed confidence that the support would enable smallholder farmers to cultivate larger portions of their farmland and improve productivity during the current planting season.