FG Uses Data to Battle Food Fraud and Crisis

The Federal Government of Nigeria is making bold moves to clean up its agricultural sector, launching a nationwide farmers’ data registry to expose and eliminate fake beneficiaries—often called “briefcase farmers”—from state-backed food and farming programmes.

Speaking at the Government-Citizens’ Engagement Forum in Kaduna, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, said the registry will help ensure that only genuine farmers benefit from intervention schemes. The initiative, he explained, is part of broader efforts to stabilise food prices, improve output, and secure Nigeria’s food future.

“Our priority is simple: ramp up production, reduce food prices, and ensure equitable access to support,” Abdullahi said.

The registry also responds to President Bola Tinubu’s ongoing declaration of a state of emergency on food security, as rising costs and supply issues continue to bite across the country.

Farming Tools, Tractors, and Targeted Programmes

Nigeria’s agriculture overhaul doesn’t stop at data collection. Senator Abdullahi also revealed new progress on initiatives like the Agro Pocket programme, which has already cultivated over 133,000 hectares of wheat—beating its initial target. Notably, Jigawa State alone contributed over 50,000 hectares.

Meanwhile, a fresh plan is in motion to engage 44,500 rice farmers, supported by enhanced extension services to fix Nigeria’s skewed farmer-to-extension-worker ratio.

In a bid to modernise local farming, the FG has introduced 2,000 Belarusian tractors and 9,000 implements, while also pushing for Special Agro-Processing Zones (SAPZs) to help farmers access markets and earn more through value-added processing.

FG: Crop Innovation and Livestock Reforms Also Underway

As part of a wider push to modernise farming, research centres have begun releasing improved crop varieties, including tomato strains resistant to the “tomato Ebola” outbreak that once devastated yields. In the livestock sector, efforts are underway to establish grazing reserves, transit shelters, and develop a national dairy policy to boost meat and milk production.

Infrastructure is getting attention too. Three dams—Nwabi Yashin, Nwape, and Amla—have been completed, unlocking 2,700 hectares of land for irrigation. These projects are expected to offer off-grid hydro power for farming communities.

“We are not only responding to today’s needs, but we are also laying the foundation for future resilience,” the minister said.

Beyond farming itself, there are ongoing efforts to reclaim university farmlands, upskill youth and women, and strengthen inter-ministerial collaboration to improve Nigeria’s food systems long-term.