The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) has held a roundtable meeting with agricultural processors and key stakeholders to assess the first phase of its Farm Input Supply Programme and fine-tune plans for a more effective second phase.
In a statement on Thursday, the General Manager for Partnerships and Investor Relations, Nasir Ingawa, said the programme was introduced to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing Nigerian agriculture, timely access to quality farm inputs.
Ingawa explained that the NADF was set up to mobilise and deploy sustainable financing aimed at boosting agricultural productivity, strengthening resilience and promoting inclusive growth, especially among smallholder farmers.
According to him, the Farm Input Supply Programme was designed as a targeted intervention to improve farmers’ access to essential inputs, increase yields and productivity, and support rural livelihoods through structured out-grower systems.
While acknowledging the programme’s clear objectives, Ingawa admitted that the pilot phase faced challenges, including delays that affected planting schedules and, in some cases, expected yields.
He said the roundtable provided an opportunity for the fund to learn directly from stakeholders and use the feedback to improve the programme’s design, coordination and delivery.
“This engagement will help us strengthen quality assurance, improve logistics and timelines, and better integrate climate-risk considerations into future planning and implementation,” he said.
Ingawa noted that some of the difficulties experienced were linked to input supply logistics and weather-related issues caused by climate variability. He stressed that bringing all stakeholders together was the first step towards developing practical and inclusive solutions.
On concerns about government policies affecting the importation of farm inputs, he acknowledged that policies often evolve in response to prevailing conditions, expressing optimism that necessary adjustments would be made ahead of the next wet season.
Speaking at the meeting, agricultural consultant and processor, Prof. Mukhtar Yusuf Abdullahi, described the programme’s objectives as timely and relevant, saying they addressed key challenges confronting farmers.
However, he pointed out that logistics problems and changes in importation policies delayed the availability of inputs during the pilot phase. He praised the introduction of a 50 per cent subsidy on inputs, describing it as a major improvement over past arrangements where farmers bore the full cost.
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Abdullahi also warned that falling commodity prices could threaten farmers’ ability to repay loans and sustain their livelihoods, urging policymakers to consider market realities alongside input costs.
He called for greater stakeholder involvement in policy formulation, stressing that consulting farmers, processors and other actors in the value chain would lead to more effective and sustainable outcomes.
Another participant, Abubakar Said Dansadau, described the roundtable as timely, noting that the programme was still in its first year and stood to benefit significantly from early reviews and adjustments.
