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By Myke Agunwa, Abuja
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has directed the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU) to accelerate the disbursement of the Federal Government’s ₦250 billion credit support for smallholder farmers at a single-digit interest rate.
Accordingly, he instructed the PFSCU to develop an implementation roadmap for releasing the funds, emphasizing that it was essential to avoid further delays and to ensure that the target beneficiaries are reached.
Shettima issued the directive during the 6th meeting of the PFSCU Steering Committee, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, according to a statement by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications (Office of the Vice President).
“On the Bank of Agriculture ₦250 billion facility, we need to sit down with all stakeholders and develop a solid roadmap that guarantees these funds reach the intended farmers and lead to tangible productivity improvements,” the Vice President said.
VP Shettima praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for granting the PFSCU political support to undertake bold reforms, notably, the fertilizer raw material liberalization and the Presidential Seed Fund.
“I want to record our deep appreciation for Mr. President’s leadership and guidance. His clear directives on fertilizer liberalization and the seed fund have enabled the PFSCU to expedite delivery in ways that directly support farmers and bolster our food systems,” he stated.
Congratulating the PFSCU on its achievements so far, the VP observed that the unit’s output has shown that “when Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies, the private sector, and development partners work together, we can move quickly from intent to action.”
The Vice President also called for better collaboration among stakeholders to revitalize the seed sector and expand the strategic grain reserve through ongoing federal reforms.
On his part, Ekiti State Governor Mr. Biodun Oyebanji emphasized the need for a structure to ensure that the N250 billion credit support designated for smallholder farmers by the Tinubu administration through the Bank of Agriculture reaches the farmers.
He also requested financial support for the PFSCU, pledging that his state was prepared to provide monthly financial assistance.
Similarly, Jigawa State Governor Malam Umar A. Namadi praised the efforts of the Bank of Agriculture, stressing the importance of providing subsidies to Nigerian farmers.
Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, agreed on credit issuance but advised that local farmers be incentivized through subsidies.
Earlier, PFSCU Coordinator Ms. Marion Moon highlighted the urgency of safeguarding Nigeria’s fragile food security, noting that 30.8 million Nigerians remain food insecure.
She reported significant progress in strengthening coordination and collaboration with MDAs across all three tiers of government.
Since the last Steer committee meeting in April, the PFSCU, through various MDAs, has achieved key milestones: insuring 250,000 farmers under the National Agribusiness Policy Mechanism (NAPM); launching Phase I of the Harvesting Hope Caravan in eight states in partnership with state and local governments; approving the ₦50 billion Seed Fund; and advancing the World Bank–supported $500 million AGROW program.
Members praised the Harvesting Hope Caravan, which is actively engaging communities alongside subnational governments.
This initiative underscores that agriculture is a collective responsibility—federal, state, local governments, the private sector, and farmers must align their vision and efforts to maintain progress.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Governors of Niger and Ebonyi States, the Ministers of Finance and Agriculture, Ministers of State for Finance and Agriculture, ALGON President, and representatives from the private sector and development partners.