Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State, alongside Abubakar Kyari, the minister of Agriculture and Food Security, has flagged off the distribution of critical agricultural inputs for the 2025/2026 dry-season wheat farming.
The distributed inputs include high-yielding wheat seeds, blended fertilisers, tractors and pesticides.
The event, held on Saturday at the Jere Bowl in Dusuman, Jere Local Government Area, marked the commencement of the Federal Government’s intervention programme for wheat cultivation in Nigeria.
The initiative is being implemented under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP), a flagship programme of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security designed to empower farmers and reduce the country’s reliance on food imports.
Zulum, while addressing beneficiaries and stakeholders, noted that the programme aligns with his administration’s commitment to revitalising the agricultural sector.
He said, “here in Borno State, wheat cultivation is not just a programme; it is a transformative initiative. Through targeted investments in irrigation, mechanisation, quality inputs, and extension services, we are equipping farmers to achieve higher yields, enhance productivity, and contribute meaningfully to national output.”
He further stated, “Borno State has achieved remarkable milestones under our people-centred agricultural vision. Our input support programmes have reached tens of thousands of smallholder farmers, resettled households, women, and youth, providing improved seeds, agrochemicals, and agronomic guidance.”
Zulum commended President Tinubu’s food security initiative under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said, “let me begin by acknowledging the steadfast leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose Renewed Hope Agenda has continued to champion transformative investments in agriculture across Nigeria.
“The President’s commitment to food security and national productivity provides the foundation upon which programmes like this are built.
“I also express profound appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, under the leadership of the Abubakar Kyari, for sustaining this national programme and for selecting Borno State as one of the priority locations for scaled wheat production.”
Speaking earlier, Kyari noted that 16 states will benefit from the NAGS-AP wheat component of the 2025/2026 season.
“Today, the wheat component of the NAG-AP programme covers 16 wheat-producing states of the federation. These are Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Cross River, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara,” Kyari said.
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According to the minister, “for the current 2025/2026 season, the programme is targeting 80,000 registered farmers with an expected output value of approximately N160bn.”
He added, “Out of the 40,000 hectares earmarked for wheat production in the 2025/2026 dry season, 3,000 hectares have been allocated to Borno State, representing 6,000 wheat farmers. This support will be followed by the second phase of the programme, which will promote the cultivation of other priority top value chains across the state.”
Delivering the welcome address, Bawu Musami, Borno state commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, enumerated the achievements of the Zulum administration in the agricultural sector.
The commissioner stated that an ambitious South Sudan irrigation scheme and Baga Folders projects have been activated, with thousands of farmers cultivating a variety of produce.
