No fewer than 120,000 farmers are expected to benefit from the distribution of free fertilizer and improved seedlings by the Kebbi State Government as part of efforts to boost agricultural production and enhance climate resilience.
Governor Nasir Idris announced this while flagging off the distribution of fertilizer for the 2026 wet season farming and improved seeds under the Climate Change Adaptation and Seed Support Programme in Birnin Kebbi.
The Governor described agriculture as the backbone of Kebbi State’s economy, noting that more than 80 percent of the population depends on farming for its livelihood.
He observed that climate change has continued to pose serious challenges to agricultural productivity through unpredictable rainfall, flooding and other adverse weather conditions that threaten crop yields, farmers’ incomes and food security.
Governor Idris said his administration would not stand by while farmers struggle with the effects of climate change, explaining that the intervention is designed to cushion the impact of the changing climate, reduce production costs and provide farmers with the necessary inputs for a successful wet season.
According to him, the state government will distribute 6,000 metric tonnes of NPK fertilizer free of charge to subsistence farmers who are most vulnerable to climate change and market fluctuations.
He explained that the fertilizer would be distributed through the state’s 3,743 polling units to ensure that the inputs reach genuine farmers rather than middlemen.
The Governor further disclosed that 100 metric tonnes of improved, drought-tolerant and early-maturing varieties of millet and rice seeds would also be distributed to increase agricultural yields.
He assured farmers that the government is working closely with security agencies to guarantee the safety of farmlands throughout the farming season.
Governor Idris stressed that the fertilizer and improved seeds are strictly meant for cultivation and not for sale, warning that any diversion of the items would attract appropriate sanctions.
He also called on traditional and community leaders to closely monitor the distribution process to ensure transparency, fairness and accountability.
The Governor expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the Federal Government’s continued support to states in the agricultural sector, as well as development partners for their contributions.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Alhaji Shehu Mu’azu, said the exercise is the fourth phase of agricultural input distribution since the inauguration of the Kauran Gwandu administration.
He recalled that the state government had previously procured and distributed 5,000 power tillers, 15,000 insecticide spraying machines, and 45,000 solar, diesel and petrol-powered water pumping machines free of charge to farmers as part of measures to reduce the cost of farming and improve productivity.
Also speaking, the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Yakubu Bala, announced that committees would be constituted in all the 21 local government areas of the state to oversee the distribution and ensure that the interventions reach the intended beneficiaries.
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