Vice President Kashim Shettima has directed the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU) to speed up the disbursement of the Federal Government’s ₦250 billion loan facility for smallholder farmers.
The directive was issued on Friday, September 12, 2025, during the sixth meeting of the PFSCU Steering Committee at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Shettima said the single-digit interest loan must be quickly implemented to avoid further delays and to ensure the funds reach farmers who need them most.
“On the Bank of Agriculture ₦250 billion facility, we need to sit down with all stakeholders and come up with a robust roadmap that ensures these funds reach the intended farmers and translate into real productivity gains,” Shettima stated. Channels TV reported.
The Vice President commended President Bola Tinubu for supporting reforms that directly benefit farmers, including fertiliser raw material liberalisation and the Presidential Seed Fund. “His clear directives on fertiliser liberalisation and the seed fund have empowered the PFSCU to fast-track delivery in ways that directly support farmers and strengthen our food systems,” he said.
Shettima also called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to revitalise the seed sector and expand Nigeria’s strategic grain reserve.
Don’t Miss This:
Nigeria Adopts AI, Climate Tools to Monitor Food Production, Shettima says
Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji urged the government to create structures that guarantee the ₦250 billion reaches its target beneficiaries. Similarly, Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi and Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu appealed for subsidies to cushion local farmers.
Earlier in her presentation, PFSCU Coordinator Marion Moon highlighted the need to safeguard Nigeria’s fragile food security, noting that 30.8 million Nigerians remain food insecure.
She outlined progress achieved since April, including the insurance of 250,000 farmers under the National Agribusiness Policy Mechanism (NAPM), the launch of the Harvesting Hope Caravan across eight states, and the approval of a ₦50 billion seed fund.
Moon added that work was advancing on the $500 million AGROW programme supported by the World Bank, describing it as a critical intervention for agricultural transformation.
The meeting underscored the government’s resolve to strengthen food systems and ensure that credit support and reforms translate into meaningful improvements for smallholder farmers across Nigeria.
Don’t Miss This:
Tinubu Directs FEC Committee to Tackle Rising Food Prices
Image Credit: Business Day
