Kebbi Receives NADF's First-Phase Onion Intervention Distribution

By Umar Faruk, Birnin Kebbi

Birnin Kebbi(Series News Online) – The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) has launched the first phase of its Onion Intervention Programme, distributing emergency inputs to over 2,000 onion farmers in Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, and Borno states.

The ceremony, held at the state agricultural complex, was attended by senior government officials, farmer representatives, and programme partners.

Prof. Maryam Abubakar Koko, representing NADF Executive Secretary and CEO Muhammad Abu Ibrahim, said, "This initiative underscores the fund's unwavering commitment to supporting vulnerable farming communities, particularly those hit by recent flooding and climate-related shocks."

"The onion value chain remains one of the strategic agricultural sub-sectors contributing to livelihoods, nutrition, and rural economic development," Prof. Koko noted. "We recognize the struggles of farmers in Sokoto, Kebbi, Yobe, and Borno, who have borne the brunt of these disasters."

Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the emergency agricultural inputs. "The President's Renewed Hope Agenda saw it necessary to give intervention through NADF to the four identified states," he said, represented by Hon. Shehu Mu'azu, Commissioner for Agriculture.

Mu'azu pleaded with onion farmers' leadership and traditional leaders, known as Sarakunan Albasa, to collaborate with the state ministry to identify genuine farmers, saying, "We urge the Sarakunan Albasa and farmers' leadership to join hands with us in making lists of genuine onion farmers across the state, as directed by His Excellency, Governor Nasir Idris Kauran Gwandu, so that they can receive the intervention help they need."

"We are here to ensure that the inputs get to the right beneficiaries and that the distribution is successful," Mu'azu stated. He highlighted the state's plan to launch the 2025/2026 dry-season farming programme in early January, targeting 5,000 genuine onion farmers, with priority given to those affected by last year's floods and poor seed quality.

Hon. Bello A. Kaoje, Chairman of the House Committee on Agricultural Products and Services, linked the intervention to the national dialogue on farmer welfare. "It was the leadership of onion farmers at the national level that brought this complaint to my office," Kaoje said. "The state government, together with NADF, has ensured that President Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda translates into emergency inputs for our farmers."

The programme's first phase includes the distribution of seed packs, fertilizer, and technical advisory services. NADF officials said the inputs were carefully verified and allocated to ensure they reach the intended farmers.

The event concluded with the official opening of the Onion Intervention Programme, marking a collaborative effort between the federal government, state authorities, and farmer organisations to restore production capacity and strengthen resilience in Nigeria's onion belt.