Nigeria Secures $134m AfDB Loan to Boost Grain Production

The Nigerian government has secured a $134 million loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) aimed at enhancing seed and grain production to strengthen food security. Senator Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, announced this initiative at the 2024/2025 National Dry Season Farming launch in Calabar, underscoring the government’s commitment to increasing agricultural output year-round.

Kyari highlighted that this funding aligns with the reintroduced National Agricultural Growth Support Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) Project, designed to support continuous food production and address national food security needs. “This dry season farming project will support 250,000 wheat farmers across key states with subsidised inputs to cultivate 250,000 hectares and yield approximately 750,000 metric tonnes of wheat,” Kyari stated, noting that this initiative aims to reduce dependency on wheat imports while bolstering local production.

The minister also revealed that under the 2023/2024 season, support has already reached over 107,000 wheat farmers and nearly 44,000 rice farmers, with an expansion planned to cover 150,000 rice farmers nationwide during the second phase. Furthermore, Cross River State was commended for its leadership in wheat production, with over 3,000 farmers enlisted to benefit from the federal government’s support.

In addition to expanding dry season farming, the programme has recently backed over 192,000 farmers for wet season production across 37 states, including the Federal Capital Territory. By focusing on crops like rice, maize, sorghum, soybean, and cassava, the government aims to revitalise Nigeria’s agricultural sector and increase access to affordable, nutritious food for all citizens. Oando, BUA Cement Lead Intraday Losses on NGX